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THE NORTH ELEVATION OF THE CATHEDRAL 

(From Architect’s Design) 
















Fifth Edition. 
















Copyright, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, by 
The Laymen’s Club of 

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 
New York, N. Y. 


©C1A80108B 






3ntrobuctorp jftote 


This Guide to the Cathedral of Saint John the 
Divine purposely departs from the conventional guide 
book in several respects. The Cathedral of St. John 
the Divine is not centuries old like those in Europe, 
but is in the building; and it has seemed appropriate 
in the first place to express something of its Spirit 
before describing the details of its Fabric. In the next 
place, the great majority of visitors to the Cathedral 
are strangers, people of other denominations, and, on 
account of its proximity to one of the leading Ameri¬ 
can universities, students. For this reason, an effort 
has been made to avoid technical terms as far as pos¬ 
sible; to explain the significance of much symbolism 
not generally understood; and to insert Bible refer¬ 
ences freely for the benefit of those who wish to study 
further the meaning of the scenes and objects de¬ 
scribed. Lest some of the explanations—as, for in¬ 
stance, that in regard to the probable date of the com¬ 
pletion of the Cathedral—be deemed superfluous, it 
may be said that this, as! well as nearly every other 
statement in the following pages, is an answer to some 
question asked among the thousand and one interro¬ 
gations which manifest popular interest in the Cathe¬ 
dral’s growth. In response to more than one request, 
“some of those little things that one would tell infor¬ 
mally in explaining the Cathedral to a friend” have 
been included. Among these are the incident of the 
blind woman who “saw” the Cathedral, which pos- 


5 



sesses a touching human interest; and the story of the 
Dove of Peace, in which may be seen the beginning of 
the traditional lore that will grow up around the Cathe¬ 
dral as the years roll on. 

For their valuable cooperation in the preparation of 
the Guide, grateful acknowledgment is made to the 
Very Rev. Howard C. Robbins, D.D., Dean of the 
Cathedral, and to the Rev. George F. Nelson, D.D., 
and the Rev. Robert Ellis Jones, D.D., Canons. Many 
thanks for courtesies and accommodations in photo¬ 
graphing and studying the Cathedral are also due to 
Mr. Thomas Meatyard, the Verger. 



The Cathedral Flag 
(See Page 56) 


6 














Contents! 


/. THE SPIRIT OF 

THE CATHEDRAL. 


The Real Cathedral. 

11 

The Spirit of Democracy 14 

Praise in its Greatness.. 

12 

A Civic Institution. 

. 15 

Praise in its Beauty. 

12 

A Great Symbol. 

. 16 

Praise in its Service. 

13 

A Sign of Stability. 

. 16 

II. THE FABRIC 

' OF 

THE CATHEDRAL. 


Name and Namesake.... 

19 

Lectern . 

. 52 

Location and Access. 

20 

Choir Stalls . 

. 54 

Administration and Clergy 

.22 

Organ . 

. 55 

Seals . 

23 

Cathedral Flag. 

. 56 

Services . 

25 

High Altar.. 

, 56 

Visitors . 

26 

Credence Table . 

. 58 

Architecture . 

27 

Great Columns .. 

. 59 

Plan and Size.. 

27 

Clerestory Windows .... 

. 60 

Progress of Construction 28 

Ambulatory . 

. 66 

Funds for Building. 

29 

Founder’s Tomb . 

. 68 

Foundation and Structure 

: 31 

Choir Boys’ Stone. 

. 69 

Exterior of Chapels. 

31 

Seven Chapels of Tongues 69 

Clerestory of Choir. 

33 

Chapel of St. James 

. 71 

Stone Shields . 

33 

Chapel of St. Ambrose . 

. 76 

West Front . 

34 

Chapel of St. Martin 

. 80 

Nave . 

36 

Chapel of St. Saviour .. 

. 84 

Crossing . 

40 

Chapel of St. Columba . 

. 87 

Pulpit . 

42 

Chapel of St. Boniface . 

. 90 

Tapestries . 

46 

Chapel of St. Ansgariusi 

. 95 

Litany Desk . 

46 

Corner Stone . 

TOO 

Choir . 

48 

Crypt . 

TOO 

Choir Parapet . 

49 

Summary of Dimensions, 

.101 

Pavements . 

51 

Bishops, of New York... 

.102 

III. OTHER 

! BUILDINGS, ETC. 


Bishop’s House . 

104 

Synod House .. 

.110 

Deanery. 

104 

Open Air Pulpit.. 

.114 

Choir School . 

106 

Cathedral Organizations. 

.115 

St. Faith’s House. 

110 

Guide Book . 

.116 















































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SUusitrations: 


Cathedral from northeast, complete exterior design, from 

architect’s drawing . Frontispiece 

Flag of the Cathedral. 6 

Plan of the Cathedral and Close.8-9 

East end of Cathedral (exterior)’. 18 

Seal of the Diocese... 24 

Seal of the Cathedral. 24 

IC-XC-NI-KA symbol “Jesus Christ Conquers”. 34 

SP-SF-SS symbol, “Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit” 34 

Symbols of St. Luke. 34 

West Front, from architect’s drawing. 35 

Nave (exterior), from composite photograph of model... 37 
Nave (interior), from composite photograph of model... 39 

Nave foundation and Crossing (exterior). 41 

Pulpit (indoors) . 43 

Barberini tapestry, “The Last Supper”. 45 

Crossing and Choir (interior). 47 

Choir Stalls, south side. 53 

High Altar . 57 

Credence Table with Magna Charta Stones. 58 

The Founder’s Tomb. 67 

Chapel of St. James (interior). 73 

Coats of Arms in windows of Chapel of St. Martin: 

City of Rheims. 82 

Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris. 82 

Archbishop of Tours. 82 

Chapter of Poitiers. 82 

St. Martin of Tours. 82 

Archdiocese of Rheims. 82 

Dukes of Orleans. 82 

Niche of England Cathedral Stones. 95 

The Sacrifice . 99 

Bishop’s House .105 

Deanery .107 

Choir School .109 

Synod House.Ill 


10 

































|3ait <©ne 

®f)c Spirit of tfjc Catfjebral 


®bt 3&tal Catfjebral 

On Morningside Heights, in the City of New York, 
on ground consecrated by the blood of our forefathers 
in the War for Independence, stands a trinity of insti¬ 
tutions which represent with singular completeness the 
three-fold nature of man: Columbia University, which 
ministers to the Mind; St. Luke’s Hospital, which 
ministers to the Body; and the Cathedral of St. John 
the Divine, which ministers to the Soul. 

This little book is designed to assist visitors to 
understand the meaning and purpose of the Cathedral 
of St. John the Divine. Some such aid, either written 
or oral, is needed, for a great cathedral cannot be com¬ 
prehended in the glance of an eye. Certain features, 
such as its magnitude and general beauty, are obvious; 
but inwrought with these is a wealth of meaning which 
is the soul of the Cathedral—the real Cathedral—and 
which reveals itself only on intimate acquaintance. 
When Ruskin called Amiens Cathedral “The Bible 
of Amiens,” he used a figure of speech applicable to 
all cathedrals. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine 
is “The Word in stone.” It is a sacred book, written 
in massive pier and ponderous arch, in sculptured 
marble and carved oak, in stained glass window and 
inlaid mosaic, in embroidered fabric and woven tap¬ 
estry, whose pages are full of delight, inspiration and 
help for those who will take the trouble to read them. 


11 



The Cathedral performs its function as a place for 
the praise and worship of Almighty God in two 
ways—statically in the grandeur and beauty of the 
temple, and actively in the services held within it. 

praise tn its? (greatness 

Like other great cathedrals, St. John the Divine 
first impresses by its size. Its magnitude is not only 
becoming to its rank as the chief church of the great 
Diocese of New York and necessary for the accom¬ 
modation of large congregations, but it also has a 
spiritual purpose, for it gives one the feeling of some¬ 
thing bigger than one’s self and of a Power greater 
than one’s own. “The Cathedral gives me a feeling 
of humility,” said a man to Bishop Greer one day. 
“When I go in,” said a college girl to him, “I forget 
myself.” And a man whom the Bishop met in the 
Ambulatory said to him: “If I came here regularly, 
something about it,—its size, its spaciousness, its lofti¬ 
ness, its great receding Choir—something about it 
would compel me to be a churchman.” 

praise in its Jkautp 

The Cathedral is designed also to praise God in 
the glory of its Beauty. Ruskin, in “The Laws of 
Fesole,” says that “all great art is praise”’ Here we 
have the three great and enduring arts of Architec¬ 
ture, Sculpture and Painting (the latter as yet only in 
stained glass,) combined in a wonderful Te Deum of 
Beauty. For centuries the great cathedrals of the 
world have been the caskets of certain kinds of art— 
or, rather, of certain kinds of expression of art—not 
elsewhere to be found; and in this respect the Cathe¬ 
dral of St. John the Divine fills a place in our Ameri¬ 
can life which no secular building can fill. In the 
beauty of its general form, in the beauty of its detail, 
in the beauty of its symbolism, and in the record of 


12 


human achievement in godly living which these 
express, the Cathedral stirs the most reverent emo¬ 
tions and creates the noblest aspirations. 

gratae in its H>crbue 

But these silent though eloquent physical features 
are only adjuncts and helps to the active expression 
of praise in the Cathedral Service. In this, the impres¬ 
sive rites of the church and the congregational partici¬ 
pation are aided by music brought to a high degree 
of perfection, and the preaching from the pulpit aims 
to interpret the Christian religion in terms of the 
practical every-day life of to-day. 

In short, the Cathedral endeavors to employ all 
that is beautiful and majestic in Art and Service to 
bring God closer to men and to draw men closer to 
God. 

Those who live near enough to the Cathedral to be 
able to attend its services frequently can appreciate 
the words of a man who lived most of his life in one 
of the great cathedral towns of England, and who 
said : 

“I account it one of the greatest blessings of my 
life, and a circumstance which gave a tone to my 
imagination which I would not resign for many earthly 
gifts, that I lived in a place where the cathedral ser¬ 
vice was duly and beautifully performed. . . If 

(he object of devotion be to make us feel, and to carry 
away the soul from all earthly thoughts, assuredly 
the grand chaunts of our cathedral service are not 
without their use. I admire—none can admire more— 
the abstract idea of an assembly of reasoning beings 
offering up to the Author of all good things their 
thanksgivings in a pure and intelligible form of words; 
but the question will always intrude, Does the heart 


13 


go along with this lip service? and is the mind suf¬ 
ficiently excited by this reasonable worship to forget 
its accustomed associations with the business and van¬ 
ities and passions of the world? The cathedral ser¬ 
vice does affect the imagination and through that 
channel the heart.” 

Spirit of Democracy 

While the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is a 
Protestant Episcopal Cathedral, its ministrations are 
not restricted. “Our democratic age,” said Bishop 
Henry C. Potter, “demands a place of worship that 
will not disregard the teachings of the Founder of 
Christianity. In this Cathedral there will be no pews, 
no locked doors, no pre-payment for sittings, no 
reserved rights of caste or rank, but one and the same 
welcome for all.” And what Bishop Potter prophe¬ 
sied when the Cathedral was first planned is literally 
true to-day. The charter of the Cathedral requires 
that “the seats for worshippers in said Cathedral 
Church shall always be free;” and the Cathedral wel¬ 
comes everybody to its services, irrespective of denom¬ 
inational affiliations, nationality or worldly estate. 
The Cathedral also welcomes those who belong to no 
denomination. Its appeal to the latter was particu¬ 
larly contemplated when Bishop Potter said: “The 
person in the period of suspense as to certain funda¬ 
mental beliefs needs something larger, higher, wider 
and roomier, more impersonal for the time being, than 
the parish church.” It is hardly necessary to add as 
a corollary of the foregoing that there are no “stran¬ 
gers’ pews” in the Cathedral; and nobody, however 
unaccustomed to the Cathedral service, needs to feel 
any timidity or hesitation about attending. The large 
proportion of men in the Cathedral congregations is 
particularly noticeable. 


14 


Ctoic ^institution 

In its present state of incompletion, without Nave 
and Transepts, the capacity of the Cathedral is taxed 
to the utmost by its ordinary congregations, and on 
special occasions thousands are turned away unable 
to enter. The completion of the Cathedral is therefore 
imperative; and this is so for more than denomina¬ 
tional reasons, for the many notable special services 
held during and immediately following the late war 
already foreshadow the position which it is destined 
to occupy as a great Civic and National Institution. 
The Board of Trustees recently said: ‘‘The city 
requires a religious edifice where people can gather 
together in large numbers to express in a corporate 
way their religious promptings and to find spiritual 
interpretation of great events.” Such were the gath¬ 
erings,—to mention but a few instances,—on the occa¬ 
sion of the Kossovo Day service June 16, 1918; the 
thanksgiving for the withdrawal of Austria from the 
war November 10, 1918; the thanksgiving for the 
cessation of hostilities November 17; the thanksgiving 
of the twelve Liberated Nationalities of middle Europe 
November 24; the great Thanksgiving Day service for 
victory November 28 ;* the rendering of Gounod’s 
“Death and Life” December 1, 1918, and Dvorak’s 
“Requiem” March 30, 1919, for all who died in the 
war; the memorial service of the 107th (including the 
former 7th) regiment April 27, 1919; the Lusitania 
memorial service May 7; the New York Letter Car¬ 
riers’ memorial service May 25; etc. People rarely 
think of the English cathedrals as belonging to the 

* The service on Nov. 24, when the flags of 12 liberated nation¬ 
alities were carried in the procession, and that on Thanksgiving Day 
when the flags of 27 allied nations were carried, were two of the most 
moving religious services ever held in this country. The liberated 
peoples represented in the former were the Armenian. Albanian, Czecho¬ 
slovak, Jugo-Slav, Greek Irredentist, Italian Irredentist, Lithuanian, 
Polish, Rumanian, Uhro-Rusin, (Jkranian, and Zionist. 

15 



Church of England or of the French cathedrals as 
belonging to the Roman Catholic church. They are 
regarded as belonging to everybody. And such, it is 
believed, is the place which the Cathedral of St. John 
the Divine will occupy in the minds of the people of 
the city and nation. 

21 #reat gambol 

The symbolism of various details of the Cathedral 
will be mentioned hereafter; but it should be said here 
that the Cathedral as a whole is a great and wonderful 
symbol. “The religion which is inwrought with all 
the history of the American people,” said Bishop 
Potter, “stands for certain lofty ideals of truth, purity, 
honesty, loyalty and self-sacrifice. Every ideal must 
have some visible expression or symbol, and this ideal 
of our religious faith from the very nature of it 
demands expression, incarnation, visible and material 
utterance worthy of its majesty and grandeur.” And 
the Trustees not long ago said: “New York is the 
chief city of the Western World. It impresses the 
imagination at every turn by visible evidence of the 
power and splendor of material achievements in 
American life. Such a city should be dominated by 
a building which, in its greatness, dignity and beauty, 
bears witness to those spiritual forces without which 
material achievement is valueless because soulless.” 

21 ;%>ia;n of 

This ever-changing city also needs the Cathedral 
as an evidence of stability. Business structures and 
apartment houses rise and disappear in a generation 
under the exigencies of the city’s growth. Even parish 
churches give way under this seemingly irresistible 
pressure. There is consequently little upon which to 
fasten permanently one’s memories, affections and his¬ 
torical traditions. Amid the changes and uncertain¬ 
ly 


ties of human life, man instinctively looks to the 
Church for something of permanence—something 
after all to which he can fasten his faith and upon 
which he can anchor his hopes. The Cathedral of St. 
John the Divine, resting in its massive solidity upon 
the ancient rocks of Morningside Heights, gives an 
idea of firmness and stability in contrast with the 
fleeting changes around it and symbolizes Eternity as 
nearly as anything erected by the hands of man can. 
It will stand for unmeasured time as an eloquent 
memorial of the best and noblest of human effort and 
will serve as a visible bond to bind together genera¬ 
tions of high endeavor. “A cathedral,” said Dean 
Robbins in a sermon on December 17, 1916, “is a 
symbol of continuity of life through the ages. It is 
a reminder of the relatedness in which men stand not 
only to one another but also to those who have pre¬ 
ceded them, to all that is still memorable in a not 
quite vanished past.” And looking to the future he 
spoke of the meaning of the Cathedral to coming gen¬ 
erations when it should have become adorned with 
associations growing like ivy over walls made vener¬ 
able by time. “Perhaps they will be greater memo¬ 
ries, more glorious associations, than our best hopes 
can now forecast. . . Who can tell what the hidden, 

wonderful, all-possible future may have in store for 
our Cathedral, what hopes and purposes and sorrows 
and rejoicings will receive their consecration within 
its slowly aging walls?” 


17 



THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHOIR, CHAPELS AND CROSSING. LOOKING SOUTHWEST 

(Choir School at left) 










$art ®too 

®f)c Jfatirtc of tfje Catfjebral 


iSame anti jSamtSabe 

The legal title of the Cathedral is “the Cathedral 
Church of Saint John the Divine in the City and 
Diocese of New York.” The adjective “cathedral,” 
commonly used as a noun, is derived from the Greek 
word “cathedra” which means “seat.” In the Cathe¬ 
dral is the cathedra of the Bishop of the Diocese of 
New York. It is not a parish church and has no mem¬ 
bers in the sense in which a parish church has mem¬ 
bers; but persons desiring to assist in cathedral work 
may join the auxiliary organizations mentioned on 
page 115 following. The Cathedral is the chief church 
of the Diocese which embraces 294 different parishes 
and missions. 

The Cathedral is named after the author of the 
fourth Gospel, the three “epistles general” bearing 
the name of John, and the book of “The Revelation 
of St. John the Divine.” The word “Divine” in the 
title is not an adjective* but is a noun in apposition 
with “St. John” and is rendered in the seal of the 
Cathedral by the Latin word “theologus,” meaning 
“theologian.” St. John was one of the twelve Apos¬ 
tles, and a brother of St. James the Great. He was 
“the Disciple whom Jesus loved” (John xiii. 23), an 
expression implying exceptional sweetness and lova- 

* The quality of divinity appertaining only to the Deity. 

19 




bleness of character. He founded the seven churches 
in Asia referred to in the Book of Revelation. Toward 
the end of his ministrations, in which he suffered many 
persecutions, he was banished to the Isle of Patmos, 
where he wrote the Book of Revelation. When he 
returned from this exile, he continued his work until 
he died at the advanced age of over 90 years. His 
traditional grave is at Ephesus. The two principal 
symbols of St. John are the eagle with book, (explained 
in connection with the symbols of the four Evangelists 
on page 44) and the chalice, the latter sometimes hav¬ 
ing a serpent issuing from it. The sacramental cup 
without the serpent is sometimes interpreted to refer 
to Christ’s reply to James and John: '‘Ye shall 
indeed drink of the cup that I drink of” (Mark x. 39). 
The cup with the serpent refers to the tradition related 
by St. Isidore to the effect that at Rome an attempt 
was made to poison St. John in the communion wine, 
but that by a miracle the poison vanished from the 
chalice in the form of a serpent. The Memorial Day 
for St. John is kept on December 27. 

location anti Access 

The Cathedral is located between Cathedral park¬ 
way (110th street,) Amsterdam avenue, 113th street, 
and Morningside drive. 

The Cathedral can be reached by taking the Broad¬ 
way subway to 110th street and walking one block 
east and two north; the Broadway surface line to 
112th street and walking one block east; the Amster¬ 
dam avenue surface line to the entrance at 112th street; 
the 6th and 9th avenue elevated line to 110th street and 
walking two blocks west and two north; or Fifth 
avenue omnibuses marked route ”4” via 110th street, 
or ’buses transferring thereto. 

Morningside Heights being 100 feet above the level 
of the adjacent Harlem Plain, the Cathedral com- 

30 


mands a sweeping prospect toward the northeast, east, 
and southeast, over the roofs of the city and past the 
trees of Central Park to the regions beyond the Har¬ 
lem and East rivers; while from the main entrance 
at Amsterdam avenue and 112th street, one can look 
westward to the Hudson and see the columned Pali¬ 
sades on the New Jersey shore beyond. Morningside 
Heights is the modern name for the ground on which 
the battle of Harlem Heights was fought on September 
16, 1776. Washington, whose figure occupies a niche 
in the Choir Parapet (page 51) and adorns the en¬ 
trance to the Synod House (p. 114), personally directed 
the troops in this engagement. At that period an old 
colonial road ran through the Cathedral site and down 
the Heights of Morningside Park to the ancient King’s 
Highway or Post Road. During the War of 1812, 
the Cathedral grounds were immediately within the 
lines of defence erected in 1814, one of the block¬ 
houses of which stood on the bluff on the eastern side 
of Morningside drive just northeast of 113th st.* 

The Cathedral grounds,—called the “Close,” from 
the practice in olden times of securing the privacy of 
the cathedral precincts by enclosing them with a wall 
and gates,—comprise 11J4 acres. Upon them are sit¬ 
uated, besides the Cathedral, the Old Synod House 
(brick with columned portico, formerly the Leake & 
Watts Orphan Asylum,) the Bishop’s House and 
Deanery, the Choir School, the New Synod House, and 
St. Faith’s Training School for Deaconesses. See 
plan and descriptions of buildings hereafter. The 
Close cost $850,000 and the buildings other than the 
Cathedral about $1,000,000. A portion of the Close 
is set apart for recreation grounds for the boys of 
the choir; and a portion of the lawn as a playground 
for small children. 

* This was a stone tower similar to the one so well preserved 
in Central Park. The remains of another are at the northern end 
of Morningside Park. 


21 



Sbrnimfitratton anb Clergp 

The affairs of the Cathedral are in the hands of 
a Board of 25 Trustees which constitutes the Cor¬ 
poration, and is composed of the Bishop of New York, 
12 other clergymen and 12 laymen. The Bishop is 
President of the Board. 

The Clergy of the Cathedral are the Bishop, Dean, 
Canon Bursar, Canon Sacrist, Canon Precentor, and 
the Honorary Canons, not to exceed seven in number. 
The Bishop is elected by the Diocesan Convention and 
the election must be confirmed by a majority of the 
Bishops and Dioceses of the Episcopal Church. The 
Dean and Canons are nominated by the Bishop and 
elected by the Trustees. The Bishop, besides his dio¬ 
cesan duties, has general direction of the services of 
the Cathedral, which direction he expresses through 
the Dean. The use of the Cathedral for worship and 
for charitable and benevolent work is entrusted to the 
Dean and Chapter. The Chapter consists of the Dean, 
the Bursar, the Sacrist, and such other Canons as 
may be elected. The Dean is Chairman of the Cathe¬ 
dral Chapter and the executive head of the Cathedral, 
leading and co-ordinating the various branches of its 
work. The Canon Bursar is the agent of the Treas¬ 
urer of the Corporation, receives the offerings and 
sees that they are applied to their proper objects, and 
is Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds. The Canon 
Sacrist has the care of the Cathedral as a place of 
worship and is Master of Ceremonies on all occasions. 
The Canon Precentor is responsible for the fitting per¬ 
formance of the musical parts of the Cathedral serv¬ 
ices. The offices of Canon Sacrist and Canon Pre¬ 
centor are vacant, their duties being performed by 
the Precentor. The Dean and Canons may have Vicars 
as assistants. 

Following is the Cathedral Staff: 

22 


Bishop of New York 

The Right Rev. William Thomas Manning, D.D., 
LL.D., D.C.L. 

Dean 

The Very Rev. Howard Chandler Robbins, D.D. 
Canon Bursar 

The Rev. Robert Ellis Jones, D.D. 
Precentor 

The Rev. Henry Purcell Veazie, M.A. (Oxon.) 
Honorary Canons 

The Rev. George Francis Nelson, D.D. 

The Rev. George William Douglas, D.D. 

The Rev. George Frederick Clover, M.A. 

The Rev. Harold Adye Prichard, M.A. 

The Rev. Pascal Harrower, M. A. 

Head Master of the Choir School 
William Lester Henry, A.B. 

Organist and Master of the Choristers 
Miles Farrow, M.A., Mus. Doc. 

Head Verger 
Thomas Meatyard. 

The post-office address of any of the above men¬ 
tioned is “The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New 
York, N. Y” 

The Bishop’s office is in the new Synod House at 
the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and Cathedral 
Parkway. The offices of the Dean, Canon Bursar, 
etc., are in -the old Synod House which stands on the 
site of the South Transept. (See page 9). 

g>eal£ of JBtoceSe anb Catbebral 
The seal of the Diocese is in the form of a 
pointed oval, or vesica,* and is as follows: 

* See note on page 116 . . 


23 



Quarterly gules and argent, over all a cross coun¬ 
ter-changed of the same. In dexter chief the Ameri¬ 
can eagle with wings displayed or; in sinister chief 
and dexter base the sails of a windmill proper from 
the arms of the City of New York. In sinister base 
two swords in saltire or from the arms of the see of 
London. Surmounted by an episcopal mitre proper. 
The arms surmounted on a field purpure and enclosed 
by a bordure azure lined (or edged) or bearing 
the legend “Seal of the Diocese of New York 
MDCCLXXXV” or. 


.CT.^ 



Diocesan Seal 


Cathedral Seal 


The red color (gules) and the swords are histor¬ 
ically reminiscent of the fact that prior to the Inde¬ 
pendence of the United States the church throughout 
the American Colonies was under the ecclesiastical 
jurisdiction of the Diocese of London. 

The seal of the Cathedral, also vesica-shaped, is 
as follows: 

Tierce in pairle reversed. 1st, from the arms of 
the City of New York: argent four sails of a wind- 


24 


















mill in saltire, between the ends in chief and base 
a beaver couchant, in fess dexter and sinister a barrel 
of flour all proper. 2d, from the arms of the State 
of New York: azure in a landscape the sun in fess 
rising in splendor or behind a range of three moun¬ 
tains the middle one the highest, in base a ship and 
sloop under sail passing and about to meet on a river 
bordered below by a grassy shore fringed with shrubs 
all proper. 3d, azure seven six-pointed stars argent 
between as many candlesticks or. Surmounted by an 
episcopal mitre proper. Enclosed by a bordure gules 
edged or bearing the legend “Sigil. Eccles. Cath. S. 
Johann. Theol. N. Ebor.” or. 

The seven stars and candlesticks refer to the Reve¬ 
lation of St. John the Divine, i. 20. 

g>erbtces 

The Cathedral is open for private prayer and medi¬ 
tation every day of the year from 7.30 a. m. to 5.30 
p. m. There is a service in one of the chapels every 
week-day at 7.30 a. m. The principal Sunday services 
are at 8 a. m., 11 a. m. and 4 p. m., the latter two 
being with full choral service and sermon. Other 
services are held on week-days and Sundays as an¬ 
nounced from time to time. As before stated, all seats 
are free, and residents and strangers of all denomina¬ 
tions are cordially welcome. 

The Cathedral service is neither “high” nor “low.” 
It is the prescribed liturgy of the Church, with a fully 
choral rendering and congregational participation. 
Except during the vacation season, there are usually 
about 60 persons in the procession. The processional 
hymn is begun in the Ambulatory, through the south 
gate of which the procession enters the Crossing and 
goes to the Choir. First comes the crucifer, fol¬ 
lowed in order by the boys of the choir, the men of the 
choir, the Head Master of the Choir School, the 


?5 


Verger and the clergy in inverse order of their rank. 
The Bishop, if present, comes last, and is immediately 
preceded by the Verger and an acolyte bearing the 
Bishop’s pastoral staff.* If the Bishop is absent, the 
Dean comes last, preceded by the Verger. If neither 
Bishop nor Dean is present, the Verger precedes all 
the clergy. The Verger (in black gown with purple 
facings), carries a silver staff surmounted by the figure 
of an angel holding a tablet on which is engraved the 
symbol of St. John the Divine, the chalice with emerg¬ 
ing serpent. When preceding the Bishop he carries his 
staff upright at his right shoulder, but when going 
before the other clergy he carries it in the hollow of 
his left arm. The organist and Master of the Choris¬ 
ters, wearing the gown and hood of Doctor of Music, 
is usually invisible, being seated at the console in the 
gallery on the screen at the south side of the Choir. 
At extraordinary musical services, an orchestra is 
seated in the Choir, between the stalls, and then the 
Master of the Choristers stands in the Choir, from 
which point he directs the singers, orchestra and 
assistant organist. The recessional is in the same order 
as the processional. After entering the Ambulatory, 
the procession halts while a dismissal prayer or hymn 
is said or sung there, and the solemn service ends with 
a far-away “Amen” from the unseen choir.f 

Visitors! 

Visitors may see the Cathedral at all times between 
7.30 a. m. and 5.30 p. m. except during the hours of 
service. The Verger is usually in attendance. 

* The pastoral staff was presented to Bishop Manning in 1923 by 
the Bishop, clergy and laity of the Diocese of London. See reference 
to the Diocese of London on page 24. 

t The processional cross, a memorial of the late Walter D. Davidge, 
Chairman of Ushers, is overlaid with pure gold, and mounted upon a 
carved mahogany staff. In its center is a large topaz jewel with many 
facets. It was made by Messrs. J. & R. Lamb. 


26 



Architecture 

The architects of the Cathedral have been: Messrs. 
George L. Heins and C. Grant LaFarge from July, 
1891, until Mr. Heins’ death in September, 1907 ;f 
Mr. LaFarge from September, 1907, until the com¬ 
pletion of the Choir in April, 1911; and Messrs. Cram 
& Ferguson from April, 1911, to the present time. 
Mr. Henry Vaughan was architect of three of the 
Seven Chapels of Tongues, Messrs. Heins & LaFarge 
of two, Messrs. Cram & Ferguson of one and Messrs. 
Carrere & Hastings of one, as mentioned hereafter. 

The prevailing style of the Cathedral will be 
French Gothic. The north of France, it will be 
remembered, is the birthplace of Gothic architecture. 
There, in the region so recently devastated by war, 
Gothic architecture rose and reached the flower of 
perfection in such monuments as Amiens, Rheims, 
Notre Dame (Paris), Chartres, Beauvais, and Rouen 
Cathedrals and many other churches, great and small. 

$lan anb 

The plan of the Cathedral is cruciform (symbol¬ 
ism, the cross on which Christ was crucified;) and is 
oriented so that the priest standing at the High Altar 
faces the east (the rising sun symbolizing the resur¬ 
rection, and the orientation also connoting the ideas of 
Christ “the Sun of Righteousness,” “the Dayspring 
from on High,” and the “Morning Star”).* Seven 
chapels, called the Chapels of Tongues, radiate from 
the Apse, or semi-circular eastern end of the Choir. 

The loftiest features of the elevation are the two 
towers of the West Front (q. v.) and the great Central 

t Mr. Heins was born May 24, 1860, in Philadelphia, Penn., and 
died September 25, 1907, at Mohegan Lake, N. Y., where there is a 
church erected in his memory. 

* Morningside Heights are so named because they front eastward. 


27 



Tower above the Crossing. The latter, in the design 
now under consideration, consists of a dodecagonal 
lantern, carried up from the square Crossing in two 
stages, the upper smaller than the lower, and sur¬ 
mounted by a fleche or open-work spire rising to a 
height of 500 feet (including cross) above the ground. 

When completed, the Cathedral will extend from 
Morningside drive to Amsterdam avenue, more than 
a tenth of a mile. It will be 601 feet long and 315 
feet wide across the Transepts, and, with an area of 
109,082 square feet, will be the third largest in the 
world, St. Peter’s at Rome being first and Seville 
Cathedral second. 

The seating capacity of the Crossing in which the 
congregation ordinarily sits is 1500 ; but on special occa¬ 
sions, when chairs are placed in the Ambulatory and 
people are admitted to the Choir Stalls, the Cathedral 
can accommodate about 3,500. When the church is 
finished, it will seat 7000 and will accommodate several 
thousand more standing. 

$rogres& of Construction 

The Founder of the Cathedral was the Right Rev. 
Horatio Potter, (Provisional Bishop 1854-1861 and 
Bishop of New York 1861-1887), who proposed it in 
1872. The charter was granted by the Legislature 
of the state of New York in 1873. The Right Rev. 
Henry Codman Potter, (Assistant Bishop 1883-1887 
and Bishop of New York 1887-1908), nephew and 
successor of Bishop Horatio Potter, actively for¬ 
warded the movement for raising funds in 1886. The 
Close was purchased from the Leake & Watts Orphan 
Asylum by deed dated October 31, 1891. The first 
service on the ground was held January 1, 1892. The 
corner-stone was laid on St. John’s Day, December 27, 
1892.* The first service was held in the Crypt January 

* See description of corner-stone on page 100 
28 



8, 1899, and the first service in the Choir and Crossing 
(being the consecration service) April 19, 1911. 
Ground was broken for the Nave May 8, 1916, by the 
Right Rev. David Hummell Greer, (Bishop Coadjutor 
1904-1908 and Bishop of New York 1908-1919). The 
parts thus far built are the Crypt, Choir, seven Chapels 
of Tongues, Crossing and foundation for the Nave. 
The Mohegan golden granite for the walls of 
the Nave is now being quarried near Peekskill, 
N. Y., and is being delivered on the grounds. 
Some details of the Choir and Crossing are unfinished. 
The completed portion of the Cathedral has cost about 
$4,000,000, and it is estimated that the Nave, West 
Front, Transepts, Spire, etc., will cost about $15,000,- 
000, making the total estimated cost about $19,000,000. 

JftmbS for puilbtng 

Visitors to the Cathedral repeatedly ask when it 
will be finished. It is impossible to answer this ques¬ 
tion definitely. Some of the cathedrals of the Old 
World have been seven hundred years in building and 
are not yet completed. The things which endure the 
longest are generally of slow growth,* and the Cathe¬ 
dral of St. John the Divine is no exception to this 
rule. It is not a steel-frame structure, but is of mas¬ 
sive masonry in the best traditions of Gothic architec¬ 
ture and is being built to stand for ages. Its physical 
construction must therefore necessarily be slow. 

It is to be remembered, also, that the financial 
resources for the building of a modern cathedral are 
different from those which supplied the means for 
building many of the Old World churches. Westmin¬ 
ster Abbey was built almost entirely from revenues of 

* This is true in both the natural and the spiritual worlds. The 
oak grows more slowly than the pine; and the moral achievements 
which are worth the most and last the longest are the hardest to 
accomplish. 



the Kings from Henry III. to Henry VII. St. Paul’s 
in London was partly built by the gifts of penitents 
who performed their penances in money. Occasion¬ 
ally an ancient shrine grew into a great church in con¬ 
sequence of some tradition or superstition which 
caused a continuous stream of illustrious persons to 
shower wealth, privileges and honors upon it. Pope 
Honorius prescribed collections in all Christendom for 
the building of Rheims Cathedral. The metropolitan 
church of St. Rombold’s, in Malines, Belgium, was 
built with money paid by pilgrims who flocked thither 
in the 14th and 15th centuries to obtain indulgences 
issued by Pope Nicholas V.; and the Tour de Beurre 
(butter tower) of Bourges Cathedral, like the tower 
of the same name at Rouen, “derives its name from 
having been erected with money paid for indulgences 
to eat butter in Lent.” (Baedeker.) 

To-day, however, reliance is placed entirely upon 
voluntary contributions. Some of the larger gifts to 
the Cathedral of St. John the. Divine are mentioned 
hereafter, but there have been many other large ones 
and innumerable smaller ones equally acceptable from 
donors irrespective of denominational affiliations who 
have caught the civic and patriotic as well as the 
religious inspiration of what is to be America’s great¬ 
est cathedral. In a general way, it may be said that 
the Cathedral will be finished as fast as funds are pro¬ 
vided ;—and no faster, for the authorities have rigidly 
maintained the provision of the statute, building only 
what can be paid for, and worshippers are therefore 
not kneeling on any debt. Anyone desiring here to 
enshrine a loving memory or to embody the offering 
of a grateful heart may place a donation to the Build¬ 
ing Fund in the alms-basin or in the box at the door, 
or send it to the Dean at the Cathedral offices in the 
old Synod Llouse, at Amsterdam avenue and 112th 
street, New York City. 


30 


Jfountmtion ant Superstructure 

The foundation of the Cathedral is of Maine 
granite. Although the bed-rock of Morningside 
Heights (Manhattan schist) lies near the surface, it is 
so disintegrated near the top that it was necessary to 
go down 72 feet in some places in order that the 
Cathedral might rest securely on the “living rock/’ 
The excavation and foundation alone cost a quarter 
of a million dollars. The main walls of the super¬ 
structure are also of granite, faced on the outside of 
the finished portion with Mohegan golden granite 
quarried near Peekskill, N. Y., and on the inside with 
a soft buff-colored limestone or dolomite called Fron- 
tenac stone from Pepin county, Wis. The great flying 
buttresses and massive piers of the Crossing, exposed 
in their rugged unfinished state, exhibit the dark 
Maine granite. Local materials are mentioned in their 
appropriate places. 

Cxterior ismrbep 

Before entering the Cathedral the visitor should 
make a circuit of the Close (beginning on the south 
side and going eastward), comparing the outlines of 
the Cathedral with the plan and noting the location 
of the other buildings. This will give him a better 
understanding of the interior of the Cathedral and 
of its ultimate connection with the Bishop’s House 
and the Choir School by means of cloisters. It will 
be noted that the Old Synod House (brick, with Ionic- 
columned portico) occupies the site of the South 
Transept. 

fEf )t Hebert Cfmpete of tEongueg, (see page 69 et 

seq.,) may be identified on the exterior by the fol¬ 
lowing characteristics (south to north) : Chapel of 
St. James, rectangular plan, crenelated parapet of 
roof, and pinnacles on buttresses. Chapel of St. 


31 


Ambrose, half round window arches. Chapel of St. 
Martin of Tours, fleurs de lis in quatrefoils above 
large windows; narrow pointed arch windows with 
single lights in basement. Chapel of St. Saviour 
(easternmost), rectangular plan; cross on gable; 
statues in niches of buttresses and wall. Chapel of 
St. Columba, angel on roof; statues in niches of but¬ 
tresses. Chapel of St. Boniface, statues in niches of 
buttresses; small mullioned windows of three lights 
in basement. Chapel of St. Ansgarius, rectangular 
plan; parapet of quatrefoil tracery; pinnacles on but¬ 
tresses. 

Three of the chapels have the following sculptures 
by Mr. Gutzon Borglum: Chapel of St. Saviour: On 
eastern wall above the great window, the Christ Child; 
in niches of buttresses on either side of window, 
Angels of the Resurrection; and beneath the window, 
the Virgin, seated between (left) St. Simeon who 
blessed the infant Jesus (Luke ii. 25-35) and (right) 
St. Zacharias, father of John the Baptist (Luke i. 
67-80).* Chapel of St. Columba: On roof, an angel 
with hands joined in prayer; in upper part of great 
window, St. Columba with tamed wolf, recalling how 
he subdued wild beasts as well as wild tribes; and in 
niches of buttresses the four patron saints of the 
British Isles (left to right) : St. David of Wales in 
beretta and fringed gown; St. George of England in 
armor with cross on shield and dragon at feet; St. 
Andrew of Scotland with diagonal crossf; and St. 
Patrick of Ireland, in Bishop’s robes, with crozier in 
right hand and shamrock in left. Chapel of St. Boni- 

* The figures of the Virgin and the Child suggest the fact that 
the Chapel of St. Saviour occupies the position usually given to the 
Lady Chapel in European cathedrals. 

t The diagonal cross of St. Andrew symbolizes not only the mode 
of his martyrdom but also humility. The legend is that when con¬ 
demned to death, he asked to be nailed to a cross of a form different 
from the Saviour’s, as he was not worthy to die on the same kind. 

32 



face: In niches of buttresses, Charlemagne, with 
crown and sword; Alcuin, Charlemagne’s preceptor, 
in monastic garb with manuscripts in right hand; 
Gutenberg, with book in each hand, his initials “J-G.” 
on one; and Luther, in scholar’s gown, with book 
between hands. 

GTfje Clerestory of tfje Cfjotr rises above the roofs 
of the chapels. In the canopied niches near the top 
of the turrets and buttresses are 10 stone figures 9]/> 
feet high by Mr. Borglum, as follows (south to 
north) : St. James the Less with fuller’s club (indicat¬ 
ing manner of his martyrdom), and St. Philip with 
Latin cross (symbol of his crucifixion), together on 
turret; St. Bartholomew!; St. Thomas with square 
(spiritual architect) ; St. James the Great with staff 
(pilgrim); St. Peter with key (to the kingdom of 
Heaven); St. Andrew with diagonal cross; St. Mat- 
thewf with drapery over head; and St. Simeon with 
saw, and St. Jude with spear, (indicating manner of 
their death), together on turret. 

^fourteen H>tone (only 12 in place), in 

the spandrels of the clerestory windows above the 
seven Chapels of Tongues, bear (or will bear) the 
following devices (south to north:) Above Chapel 
of St. James, (left) winged ox; and (right) artist’s 
palette, brushes and maulsticks, and lily, symboliz¬ 
ing St. Luke.* Above Chapel of St. Ambrose 
(left) lily, and (right) rose, both symbols of the 
Virgin Mary. Above Chapel of St. Martin of Tours, 

t The usual symbol of St. Bartholomew, the knife with which he 
was flayed alive, and that of St. Matthew, the money bag, indicating 
his occupation before he was called, are not apparent. 

* There is a tradition that St. Luke painted the first portrait of 
Christ. Pictures of the Madonna attributed to Luke are not uncom¬ 
mon in southern Italy. There is one such in the Cathedral of SS. 
Peter and Paul at Citta Vecchia, Malta. See article entitled “Knights 
and Sights of Malta” in Harper’s Magazine for July, 1923, p. 159. 


(left) eagle, and (right) chalice, symbols of St. John. 
Above Chapel of St. Saviour, (left) letters IC, XC, 
NI, KA, in four quarters formed by a Greek cross, 
signifying Jesus Christ Conquers; and (right), ini¬ 
tials SP, SF, SS, of the Latin words Sanctus Pater, 
Sanctus Filius, Sanctus Spiritus, (Holy Father, Holy 
Son, Holy Spirit,) in a trefoil, symbolizing the Trin¬ 
ity.* Above Chapel of St. Columba, (left) crossed 
keys, symbol of St. Peter, and (right) crossed swords, 
symbol of St. Paul. Above Chapel of St. Boniface, 
(left) winged lion; and (right) fig tree, both symbols 
of St. Mark. Above Chapel of St. Ansgarius, (left) 
winged man and (right) axe and book, both symbols 
of St. Matthew. 



1. Jesus Christ Conquers. 2. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy 
Spirit. 3 and 4. Saint Luke. 

Surmounting the roof of the Choir, and facing 
eastward, is a bronze statue, 9p2 feet high, by Mr. 
Borglum, representing St. Gabriel as Angel of the 
Resurrection, blowing a trumpet. 


Wm jfront 

Returning to Amsterdam avenue at 112th street, 
we come to what will be the main entrance of the 
Cathedral. In the space (now unoccupied) between 
the si dewalk and the foundation of the Nave will be 

* IC and XC arc the Greek letters iota sigma and chi sigma, (uncial 
(orm,) being the first and last letters in each case of the Greek words 
for Jesus Christ. The letters NIKA are read together and spell the 
Greek word which means “conquers.” Mrs. Jenner, in her “Christian 
Symbolism,” says that this inscription “is stamped upon every altar- 
bread of the Orthodox Eastern Church, and it occurs on every eikop 
of our Lord.” 

34 











































■ 




THE WEST FRONT 
(From Architect’s Drawing) 





the West Front (see figure 1 of plan). The tentative 
design for the West Front provides for three large 
and two smaller recessed portals, similar to the plan 
of Bourges Cathedral. Above the north and south 
portals rise two heavily buttressed square towers, 
named after St. Peter (north) and St. Paul (south), 
presenting strong relief. Above the central portal is 
the great Rose Window, flanked by the mullioned 
Gothic windows of the towers. Above these, a gallery 
of niches containing statues extends entirely across 
the facade, after the manner of the Gallery of Kings 
at Rheims Cathedral. Above this rise the belfries of 
the two towers, each surmounted by pointed turrets 
at the four corners, while between them, just above 
the gallery, appears the gable of the Nave. The West 
front is 220 feet wide and 80 feet deep, including the 
buttressing. The towers are 50 feet square, 235 feet 
high to the top of the parapets and 265 feet high to 
the top of the pinnacles. 

TOj t J9abe 

Crossing the space to be occupied by the West 
Front, we ascend temporary steps to the foundation 
of the Nave (figure 2 of plan). Superstructure not 
yet begun (June 15th, 1924). Here the visitor should 
pause and imagine himself entering the western limb 
of the Cathedral, 225 feet long, 132 feet wide, 175 
feet high outside and 130 feet high inside, built in 
pure 13th century Gothic adapted to the requirements 
of the plan. The central aisle,*—as wide between the 
centers of piers as 112th street is between building 
lines—has two narrower aisles on each side. Instead 
of the closely-grown-up forest effect produced by the 
columns of many Gothic cathedrals, an air of open- 

* What is here informally called the central aisle is sometimes 
called by architects the Nave, to distinguish it from the parallel 
passages called aisles. 


36 



THE EXTERIOR OF THE NAVE 
(Composite Photograph of Model. Human figure shows scale) 



































ness and spaciousness, which distinguishes this Cathe¬ 
dral throughout, is given by the relatively small num¬ 
ber of piers and columns and their ingenious disposi¬ 
tion. In this arrangement the architect has made 
two notable departures from the ordinary Gothic type: 
One is the erection of the clerestory on the secondary 
line of columns (those nearest the side walls,) which 
modifies the exterior system of flying buttresses, and 
the other is the introduction of intermediate slender 
columns in the primary line of piers, resolving the 
Nave into a system of four squares or double bays 
instead of eight rectangular bays. As the primary 
ranges of piers and columns rise to the spring of the 
arches which support the roof of the Nave, instead of 
being shortened to support the clerestory, an effect of 
great spaciousness and lofty aspiration is produced; 
and this arrangement, together with the rhythmic 
alternation of great piers and relatively small clustered 
columns, allows a play of light and shade surpassing 
that of any mediaeval cathedral. Under the roofs of 
the north and south aisles runs the triforium gallery; 
and there are many beautiful details of ornament, 
including the tracery, panelling, capitals, niches, pin¬ 
nacles and sculptures. A light and cheerful effect is 
produced by the illumination through 32 stained glass 
windows—eight in the aisle and eight in the clerestory 
on each side,—and the great Rose Window in the west 
end. 

While standing at the west end of the foundation, 
the visitor should survey the great area of floor space 
that lies before him; then, looking eastward 225 feet 
(the length of a city block and half the width of a 
street) imagine the present temporary west wall 
of the Crossing removed, and the view extended about 
225 feet farther to the High Altar in the Sanctuary. 
He will then have an idea of the great vista of the 
completed church. 


38 



• . * - 



Nil 


Wrr 


ONE SIDE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE NAVE 
(Composite Photograph of Model. Figures of choristers show scale) 

























Speaking of the building of the Cathedral in gen¬ 
eral and of the Nave in particular, in his address to 
the 138th Annual Convention of the Diocese of New 
York on May 11, 1921, Bishop Manning said: “As to 
the practical value and importance of the Cathedral, 
no one who knows anything of its work or of the 
multitudes that gather here for worship can entertain 
a question. Large as it is, the present space is in¬ 
sufficient. The Nave is urgently needed, not only that 
the great ideal which the building embodies may be 
carried forward, but that there may be room for the 
people who come for spiritual help, and that the 
Cathedral may meet its unequalled missionary oppor¬ 
tunity. I hope that our people, and especially those 
who have the stewardship of wealth, will keep this 
great spiritual and missionary enterprise in mind, and 
that many may be moved to aid it. The building waits 
only for the necessary funds. And in the revised 
drawings, we at last have plans which by their majesty 
and beauty worthily express the aim and ideal of this 
great structure ... I believe that we have now 
a plan worthy of the unequalled opportunity of this 
glorious Temple of God, and of its relation to the 
greatest and most complex city in the world. I believe 
that for the carrying forward towards completion of 
such a building as this, of which the whole country 
may be proud, and for the upholding of the spiritual, 
social and civic ideals which it embodies, not only the 
people of our own Church but many others in this 
metropolis and elsewhere will be glad to make their 
gifts and to have their part and share with us.” 

Crossing 

Walking the length of the Nave foundation (2 on 
plan) we pass through temporary doorways and enter 
the Crossing (3), so-called from its location at the 


40 



THE NAVE FOUNDATION AND CROSSING 



















intersection of the long and short arms of the cruci¬ 
form ground plan. In this space, 100 feet square, 
floored with concrete, are 1500 chairs for the congre¬ 
gation. To the eastward, the Crossing opens into the 
Choir (10) and Ambulatory (12-12). On the north, 
west and south sides the spaces between the ponderous 
piers of Maine granite are filled with temporary win¬ 
dows and concrete walls which will be removed when 
the Nave (2) and the North and South Transepts 
(4 and 5) are built. The removal of these temporary 
walls will improve the acoustics. The rough, una¬ 
dorned piers on the north, west and south sides will 
eventually be faced with Frontenac stone like those 
on the east side. The massiveness of this masonry 
may be judged by the fact that a single pair of these 
piers with their connecting arch weighs 4000 tons. 
The Dome of the Crossing, 162 feet (just the height 
of Niagara Falls) above the floor, is a remarkable piece 
of construction, the tiles having been laid by the 
ingenious Gustavino method without the support of 
scaffolding. The present dome is temporary; the per¬ 
manent vault will be 200 feet above the floor. Mr. 
J. P. Morgan, Mr. George S. Bowdoin and Mr. Harris 
C. Fahnestock were large contributors to the building 
of the Crossing. 

\)t |3ulpit, a memorial of Bishop Henry Codman 
Potter, is made of Knoxville, Tenn., marble, an un¬ 
crystalline limestone favorable for very fine work. 
On the newel posts of the stairs are the figures of the 
two great prophets of the Old and New Testaments, 
Isaiah (south) and John the Baptist (north.) In 
the five principal Gothic niches are as many scenes 
in the life of Christ (north to south) : The Nativity, 
Jesus Among the Doctors, the Crucifixion, the Resur¬ 
rection, and the Supper at Ernmaus (Luke xxiv. 
30-31). In the smaller niches are the figures of 


42 



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THE PULPIT 










































eight great exponents of the Holy Scriptures and 

champions of human freedom (north to south) ; St. 
Jerome, St. Gregory, St. Chrysostom, St. Peter, St. 
Paul, Hugh Latimer, Bossuet, and Bishop Phillips 
Brooks of Massachusetts.* Beneath these niches runs 
a moulding of grape-vine design symbolizing Christ 
the true vinef (John xv. 1) and beneath this one of 
roses symbolizing Christ the Rose of Sharon (Cant, 
ii. 1). On the base are the symbols of the four 
Evangelists: The winged man for St. Matthew, 
winged lion for St. Mark, winged ox for St. Luke, 
and eagle for St. Jolm.J The pulpit is surmounted by 
a carved oak canopy of Gothic tracery, upon which 
is the beginning of the Gloria in Excelsis: 

“Glory be to God on high and on | earth || peace |] good 
will towards 11 men. We praise thee | we bless thee, we || 
worship || thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks || to thee for 
thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King.” 

On the side of the stairs is inscribed: 

“In Memory of || Henry Codman Potter 11 the gift of|| 
Mrs. Russell Sage || A.D. 1916.” 

'■* “ 

*These sculptures are surpassingly beautiful. The Supper at 
F.mmaus has a particularly dramatic quality. Note the amazement ol 
the two Disciples as they recognize the Saviour after his crucifixion, 
their attitudes and facial expressions, and the vein standing out on 
the neck of the one in the foreground. 

fThe use of the grape-vine to symbolize Christ dates from the 
very beginning of the Christian era. A silver chalice found in Anti¬ 
och by Arabs in 1910 and believed to date from the 1st century, is 
covered with a grape-vine of twelve branches in the midst of which 
are figures of Christ and the writers of the Gospels and' Epistles 
(See N. Y. Evening Sun of Jan. 3, 1920, and N. Y. Times of 
May 14, 1922.) 

tThese symbols, supposed to be derived from the Revelation of 
St. John (iv. 7) and the prophecy of Ezekiel (i. 10), are variously 
interpreted. One explanation of each follows: The man or cherub is 
given to St. Matthew because he dwells on the human side of Christ; 
the lion to St. Mark because he is called the historian of the resurrec¬ 
tion, and ancient naturalists believed that the lion was born inanimate 
and came to life three days after birth; the ox, the emblem of sacri¬ 
fice, to St. Luke because he dwells on the priesthood of Christ; and the 
eagle to St. John because he soared in the spirit to heaven and saw 
God. 


44 








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ONE OF THE BARBERINI TAPESTRIES 























The pulpit, which cost $30,000, was designed by 
Mr. Henry Vaughan and executed by Messrs. John 
Evans & Co. of Boston. 

Jlarbertm GTape^trieS. The tapestries in the 
Crossing and Ambulatory were woven in the first 
half of the 17th century on the papal looms founded 
by Cardinal Barberini under the patronage of his uncle 
Pope Urban VIII. They were executed under the 
direction of the master weaver Jacques della Riviera 
from cartoons painted by Jean Francois Romanelli. 
The cartoons are now in the Vatican. The tapestries, 
originally designed for the throne room of the Bar- 
terini Palace at Rome, afterward a part of the Ffoulke 
Collection in Washington, and finally presented to 
the Cathedral by Mrs. Elizabeth U. Coles, are twelve 
in number and represent scenes in the life of Christ. 
Four of them hang in the Crossing as follows: In 
the northeast corner, the Delivery of the Keys to St. 
Peter; southeast corner, the Last Supper; southwest 
corner, the Adoration of the Shepherds; and north¬ 
west corner, the Flight of Joseph and Mary with the 
infant Jesus into Egypt. Seven hang in the Ambula¬ 
tory, as follows (north to south) : Christ’s Baptism, 
the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, the 
Crucifixion (directly behind and above the High 
Altar,) the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and the 
Agony in the Garden. The twelfth, a map of the 
Holy Land, is not at present hung. These works are 
all 15 feet 8 inches high and average 14 feet 1 inch 
wide. The Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter, the 
Last Supper, and the Flight into Egypt are more than 
17 feet wide. These tapestries appear more like paint¬ 
ings than products of the loom. 

m)t JL ttattp IDcMi at the eastern end of the mid¬ 
dle aisle (often removed) is of carved oak. Sur¬ 
mounting the ends are two praying angels, while on 
46 



THE INTERIOR OF THE CROSSING AND CHOIR 
































the front are statues of St. Michael with sword, St. 
John with chalice, and St. Gabriel with lilies, all fac¬ 
ing the Altar. An inscription reads: 

“We beseech Thee to ||hear us Good Lord |i Grant us 
Thy Peace || Have Mercy Upon us.” 

The desk was given by the Laymen’s Club. 

e Cfjotr 

&rd)ttecture. The Choir (10) may best be sur¬ 
veyed from the eastern end of the Crossing. (Vis¬ 
itors not admitted to Choir during service time except 
by permission.) The half-round arches and other 
features exhibit a late Romanesque style with Byzan¬ 
tine influence, which is not inappropriate to the eastern 
end of the Cathedral, and which will relatively be¬ 
come a local detail as the prevailing Gothic style of 
the whole Cathedral develops.* The interior facing is 
of Frontenac stone. Numerous symbols from the 
Revelation of St. John the Divine will appear as the 
description of the Choir and its environs proceeds. 
The first to attract attention is the broad course of 
red jasper from South Dakota seen at the base of the 
piers of the great Choir arch. This foundation course, 
which appears in the Ambulatory (12-12-12) running 
entirely around the Choir, recalls St. John’s descrip¬ 
tion of the Heavenly City: “And the foundations of 
the wall of the city were garnished with all manner 
of precious stones. The first foundation was of 
jasper” (Rev. xxi. 10). The green moulding above 
the jasper is Pennsylvania serpentine. The floor of 
the Choir has three principal levels. From the Cross¬ 
ing 5 steps lead to the Choir proper, which contains 
the stalls for the clergy and choristers and which 
occupies the first two bays. An ascent of six more 

* These Romanesque features are part of the original design which 
was subsequently abandoned. There is a plan for changing them to 
Gothic. 


48 


steps leads to the second level which may be desig¬ 
nated as the Presbytery. Upon it are the two thrones 
hereafter mentioned and the altar rail, the latter 
a step higher, f In the Sanctuary within the altar 
rail, 4 steps lead to the third level upon which stands 
the Altar with its 3 white steps.* Around the Sanc¬ 
tuary stand eight Great Columns described hereafter. 
The principal donor to the building of the Choir was 
the late Hon. Levi Parsons Morton (Vice-President 
of the United States 1889-93, Governor of the State 
of New York 1895-96) who, after the Great Columns 
were erected, gave $600,000 toward the completion of 
the fabric and the installation of the Altar, Reredos, 
Organ, Choir Stalls, Bishop’s Throne, and some other 
furnishings. This sum was generously supplemented 
by Mrs. Morton. The ornate Altar Rail of English 
oak is inscribed: 

“To the Glory of God || and in loving memory of I! 
Anna Livingston Morton || May 18, 1846-August 14, 19181| 
Given by her daughter 11 Edith Morton Eustis 1920.” 

®f)C parapet at the entrance to the Choir is de¬ 
signed to represent outstanding characters of 20 cen¬ 
turies of the Christian Era. It is in two sections, one 
on each side of the steps leading from the Crossing 
to the Choir, each section being 18)^ feet long and 4 
feet high. It is built mainly of Champville (France) 
marble, in modified French Gothic style. The twelve 
marble columns, alternately green, red and yellow, are 
of Alps Green from Italy, Rouge de Ranee from Italy, 
and Numidian from Africa, respectively. The figures, 
from right to left, are as follows (authorities differing 

t There is much ambiguity in the use by architects of terms to 
indicate the sub-divisions of the eastern limb. of a cathedral which is 
called comprehensively the Choir. The designations here used—the Choir 
proper, the Presbytery, and the Sanctuary—are. sufficient for present 
purposes without confusing the reader with conflicting definitions, 

* For details of intentional departures from absolute levels, and 
from regularity of height and spacing of arches, see. “Temperamental 
Architecture” in “The New York Architect” for April, 1911. 

49 



slightly as to some of the dates given) : (1) St. Paul 
(died A. D. 66) with sword symbolizing his decapita¬ 
tion; (2) St. Justin Martyr (100-165) with axe and 
block; (3) St. Clement of Alexandria (150-220) 
holding cross in left hand; (4) St. Athanasius (296- 
373) pouring baptismal water from a sea-shell, refer¬ 
ring to a playful incident of his boyhood which led 
to his calling; (5) St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) 
with miter, pen and tablet; (6) St. Benedict (480-543) 
in habit of Benedictine monk pointing to scroll; (7) 
St. Gregory the Great (550-604) with slave child in 
broken shackles, referring to his intercession for pagan 
children in the slave market; (8) Charles Martel (688- 
741) with crown, battle-axe and pennant; (9) Charle¬ 
magne (742-814) with crown, scepter and orb; (10) 
Alfred the Great (849-901) crowned, with sword by 
side, holding three burnt cakes on book;* (11) God¬ 
frey of Bouillon (1061-1100) crowned, with Cru¬ 
sader’s sword and shield; (12) St. Bernard (1091- 
1153) in monk’s habit, holding aloft a cross in his 
right hand and clasping a book in his left; (13) St. 
Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) in Franciscan monk’s 
garb, contemplating a cross in left hand, and preaching 
to birdsf in tree; (14) John Wyckliffe (1325-1384) 
with book and staff; (15) Columbus (1435-1506) 
lifting the veil from the globe, symbolizing the age of 
discovery; (16) Archbishop Cranmer (1489-1556) 
with right hand thrust voluntarily into the flame, sym- 

* See Abbott’s “History of King Alfred” for legends concerning 
the cakes. One is, that Alfred, when a fugitive from the Danes, was 
hiding one day in a peasant’s cottage, and while sitting by the fire¬ 
place mending his bow, he was requested by the house-wife to watch 
her cakes which were baking. Absorbed in thoughts of his kingdom, 
he forgot the cakes, and' for his neglect was roundly scolded by the 
woman who little realized his character. 

t St. Francis, founder of the Franciscan Order, literally inter¬ 
preted the text “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to 
every creature (Mark xvi. IS) and a famous fresco by Giotto in the 
church of San Francesco, at Assisi, represents him preaching to the 
birds. 


50 



bolizing his martyrdom; (17) Shakespeare (1564- 
1616) standing amidst growing laurels; (18) Wash¬ 
ington (1732-1799) in civilian attire as President; (19) ■ 
Lincoln (1809-1865) standing by a burial cross de¬ 
livering his Gettysburg Address; (20) uncarved block. 
The basis for selecting the figures was the representa¬ 
tive character of the nineteen men selected in conjunc¬ 
tion with their contribution to the development of 
Christian civilization. The Parapet was designed by 
Messrs. Cram & Ferguson, and the figures, modelled 
by Ferrari, were carved by John Evans & Co., of 
Boston. The Parapet bears the following inscription: 

“To the Glory of God and in Memory of || Richard 
Delafield, ]] Brigadier-General, Chief of Engineers, || Brevet 
Major-General, United States Army. \\ Born September 1, 
1798, Died November 5, 1873, ,|| This Parapet is Erected by 
his Children, || Albert, Juliet Covington and Emma Delafield. 
|| Righteousness Exalteth a Nation: But || Sin is a Re¬ 
proach to any People.” 

GTfje iPabementg of the Ambulatory and Choir, de¬ 
signed by Mr. C. Grant LaFarge in Romanesque and 
Byzantine motives, are related in their symbolism. 
The colors in the Ambulatory are reddish, or earthy; 
while those in the three ascents of the Choir progress 
through increasingly rich designs of greens and whites 
(hope and purity) to greens, whites and blues (hope, 
purity and heaven) until they reach the pure white 
steps of the Altar. The risers of the steps leading 
from the Crossing to the Choir proper are of yellow 
Nurnidian marble and the treads of green Pennsyl¬ 
vania marble. The pavement of the Choir is richly 
inlaid with Nurnidian, Swiss and other marbles and 
Grueby Faience tiles. The steps to the Presbytery 
are of marble from Hauteville, France. In the center 
of the floor of the Presbytery is a magnificent mosaic 
rug of tiles and marbles, 32feet long and 10 feet 
wide, with smaller patterns at the ends. In the center 


51 


is an oval of black Belgian marble surrounded by 
violet marble from Italy, while Grueby tiles of many 
colors, and Grecian, red Numidian and other marbles 
form the rest of the design. The pavement of the 
Sanctuary, within the communion rail, in addition to 
its rich designs of tiles and marbles, contains, imme¬ 
diately in front of the steps to the Altar, a red tile 
surrounded by a square brass border, inscribed: 

“Whoever shall have prayed at this spot will have pressed 
with his feet a tile from the ancient Church of St. John the 
Divine at Ephesus, built by the Emperor Justinian in the 
year DXL over the traditional site of St. John’s grave.” 

The tile was presented to the Cathedral by Bishop 
Kinsman of Delaware, its authenticity being attested 
by Prof. George Weber of Smyrna, who procured it 
from the ruins on the hill of Ayassolouk and who, 
in his lifetime, was a leading authority on Ephesian 
archaeology. 

dje Cagle 1L ectern of bronze at the north side of 
the Choir steps is a replica of an ancient lectern found 
near St. Albans Cathedral, England, in a lake into 
which it had been cast when that structure was de¬ 
stroyed in the Saxon invasion. The eagle, standing 
on a globe, is the symbol of St. John in his capacity 
as an Evangelist. Around the lectern are the figures 
of the four Evangelists: St. Matthew with open book, 
St. Mark with closed book and pen, St. Luke with 
open book in one hand and pen in other, and St. John 
with chalice. Below are their respective symbols (p. 
44). The lectern was made by the Gorham Co. It 
bears the following inscription, the initials at the end 
being those of the donor, Mary Gertrude Edson 
Aldrich: 

“In Memoriam || Horatio Potter II Bishop of New 
York || 1854-1887 || M. G. E. A.” 


5 ? 



THE BISHOP’S THRONE, CHOIR STALLS AND DEAN’S STALL 
































®f)e <£f)CUr ££>taUg, rising in four tiers on either 
side of the Choir proper, are of carved American oak 

The canopies are after studies of those in the Chapel 
of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey used as the 
Chapel of the Knights of the Order of the Bath. The 
finials of the stalls are figures of great musicians and 
composers of church music, as follows: 

East. 

Left. 

Bortniansky 
Handel 
Bach 
Tallis 

Pope Gregory 
Asaph 

West. 

The figures, modeled by Mr. Otto Jahnsen, are 
represented in the costumes of their day; and the 
features of all but those of David and his chief mu¬ 
sician Asaph are from portraits. 

The high canopied stall nearest the Crossing on 
the south side of the Choir is the Dean’s Stall* It 
was designed in the office of Messrs. Cram & Fer¬ 
guson and is a very skillful blending of styles to har¬ 
monize with the Jacobean canopies of the Choir Stalls 
and the Flamboyant note in the stalls themselves. It 
has many interesting details of carving, notably the 
three panels depicting the Good Shepherd (front). 
Learning (east side), and Charity (west side). On 
the back of the stall is inscribed: 

“In the Name of the | ] Father Son & Holy Ghost || This 
Stall is Dedicated by||The Head Mistresses Association || 
to the Memory of || Agnes Irwin 11 1841-1914 11 Holding fast 


* “Cathedral Choirs . . have for ages been divided into two 

portions facing each other and respectively named Decani, or the side 
of the Dean, . . and Cantoris, or the side of the Cantor” or 
Precentor.—Hunt’s Concise History of Music. 


Right. 

Mendelssohn 
Haydn 
Purcell 
Palestrina 
St. Cecelia 
King David 


.54 



the faithful word as she || had been taught herself being not 
dis-|| obedient unto the heavenly vision || Head Mistress of 
the Agnes Irwin School 1867-1894 11 First Dean of Radcliffe 
College 1894-1909 || First President of the || Head Mistresses 
Association || 1911-1914.” 

In the Presbytery, on the south side, is the lofty 
Bishop’s Throne of carved oak, while opposite to it 
is one with a little lower canopy for the use of a bishop 
other than the Diocesan. 

On one of the Choir Stalls is inscribed: 

“These Stalls are Erected to || the Glory of God || and in 
Loving Memory of || Susan Watts Street || 1818-1893 || By her 
Daughter 11 Anna L. Morton.” 

On a tablet in the Choir is inscribed: 

“The Stalls || of the Sanctuary || and the Choir || are 
Lrected to 11 the Glory of God || and in Memory of || Susan 
Watts Street 11 1818-1893 11 By her Daughter || Anna Living¬ 
ston 11 Morton.” 

The stalls and the cathedra of the Diocesan were 
made by the John Barber Co., of Philadelphia, and 
the corresponding Bishop’s throne on the north side 
by Messrs. Irving & Casson, of Boston. 

QTfje d£>rg;an, seen in the upper arches on either 
side of the Choir, contains 7,000 pipes and a chime, 
connected by electric wires with the console located 
in the gallery on the south choir screen. The console 
has four manuals and two octaves of pedals, 10G 
speaking stops, 31 couplers, and 33 pistons. The 
organist, invisible to the congregation, can see the 
choir and clergy either directly or by means of mirrors. 
A Gothic tablet in the south Ambulatory is inscribed: 

“This Organ || is Dedicated || to the Praise of 11 the 
Blessed Trinity || and || in Loving Memory of || Lena Kearny 
Morton || 1875-1904 || By her Parents || Levi Parsons Morton || 
and || Anna Livingston Morton.” 

The organ was built by the Ernest M. Skinner Co., 
of Boston. (See also Choir School, page 106). 


53 


tCf)e Catfjebral Jflag which hangs above the choir 
stalls on the north side of the Choir opposite the 
American flag, bears upon a purple field a white Latin 
cross, on the crossing of which is a shield displaying 
the arms of the Cathedral. The shield is divided by 
radial lines into three parts: In the upper left-hand 
part (as viewed) are the arms of the city of New York, 
in the upper right-hand part the arms of the state; 
and at the bottom the seven candlesticks and seven 
stars of the Book of Revelation (ii. 1) symbolizing 
the seven churches and seven spirits of the churches 
founded by St. John the Divine in Asia Minor. The 
Cathedral flag and the American flag were given by 
Mrs. J. Herman Aldrich. The American flag which 
is sometimes carried in the procession and which was 
first used in the victory celebration in 1918, was given 
by Mrs. William Iselin. (See page 6). 

£Utar is of white Vermont marble. The 
beautiful Gothic Reredos is of pierre de Lens, quar¬ 
ried in the vicinity of the city of that name in the 
north of France which was so terribly ravaged in the 
late war. In the center is a majestic figure of Christ. 
On His left, (in order from center to spectator’s right) 
are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Moses, representing 
the Old Testament; and on His right (in order from 
center to spectator’s left) are St. John, St. James, St. 
Peter and John the Baptist, representing the New 
Testament. The scale of the Cathedral may be judged 
from the size of the figure of our Saviour, which is 
seven feet high. Those of Moses and John the Bap¬ 
tist are 6 feet 10 inches high. In smaller niches on the 
front and sides are 16 angels holding various emblems 
—palm, sword, shield, swinging lamp, crown, trumpet, 
etc. Under the pedestals of the statues are clusters 
of grapes, symbolizing Him who gave His body and 
blood for man. The statue of Christ was made by 



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in niwwiiinii 




THE HIGH ALTAR 






















































Sig. Leo Lentelli under the direction of Mr. Carl 
Bitter. The other figures were made by Mr. Otto 
Jahnsen. The great rectangular panel in the lower 
part of the Reredos is filled with a rare Spanish em¬ 
broidery in arabesque design, 200 years old. The 
Altar and Reredos were built by the Barr, Thaw & 
Fraser Co. Upon the Altar is the following inscrip¬ 
tion : 


“To the Glory of God || and in Memory of || Anna 
Livingston || Morton || 1846-1918.” 


tEfjc Crrbcnce Gallic, 



Credence Table with Shaft made 
of Magna Charta Stones 


at the right (south) side 
of the High Altar, is sup¬ 
ported by a shaft com¬ 
posed of three stones from 
the ruins of the ancient 
Abbey of Bury St. Ed¬ 
munds, England, in which 
the Barons met on No¬ 
vember 20, 1214, and 

swore before the altar to 
secure from King John 
the liberties which they 
embodied in M agna 
Charta. These relics are 
of Caen stone, and may 
be recognized by their 
gray color. They were 
given to the Cathedral in 
1922, with the consent of 
the Abbey authorities, by 
the Marquis of Bristol 
through Dr. Raphael Con- 
stantian of New York. 


Near the shaft is the following inscription: 

“The Adjoining Shaft || Was Once a Part of || the 
High Altar of the || Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds || Upon 


08 











Which on || November 20, 1214, || the Barons Swore Fealty 
I! to Each Other in Wresting || the Great Charter || from 
King John. || It is Placed Elere || as a Symbol of || the 
Community of || Political Tradition, || Laws and Liberties, 
|| Which is the Inheritance || of the English Speaking || 
Commonwealths || Throughout the World.” 

fflfje €igf)t <§reat Columns standing in a semi¬ 
circle around the Sanctuary and forming seven inter¬ 
spaces opposite the seven Chapels of Tongues, are 
among the marvels of the Cathedral. They are ap¬ 
proached in size only by those in St. Isaac’s Cathedral, 
Petrograd. The shafts of light gray granite from 
Bear Island, near Vinal Haven on the coast of Maine, 
were quarried as monoliths and turned on a special 
lathe which cost $50,000. When the first two were 
subjected to the pressure of polishing they broke, and 
the contractor then obtained permission to make the 
shafts in two pieces. The lower stone in each shaft 
is 38 feet high and weighs 90 tons, and the upper 
stone is 17 feet high and weighs 40 tons, the total 
height between base and capital being 55 feet and the 
weight 130 tons. The octagonal capitals of pierre de 
Lens by Mr. Post represent singing angels. The 
columns were given as memorials of the men whose 
names are carved on the bases seen in the Ambulatory 
(south to north:) “Alonzo Potter,* Bishop of Penn¬ 
sylvania, 1800-1865“Colonel Richard Tylden Auch- 
muty, U. S. V., 1831-1893“Harry Manigault Morris, 
1817-1892;” “Eugene Augustus Hoffman, 1829-1902;” 
“John Jacob Astor, 1763-1848;” “John Divine Jones, 
1814-1895;” “Josiah Mason Fiske. 1823-1892:” and 
“Joseph Lawrence, 1788-1872.” Each column cost 
$25,000, not including the expense of erection. They 
were made by Mr. John Pierce of Vinal Haven, Me. 

* Brother of Horatio Potter and father of Henry Codman Potter, 
Bishops of New York. 


59 



&fje Clerestory 1£)mbotoS of the Choir, nine in 

number, of which seven are above the entrances to 
the seven Chapels of Tongues, are designed to depict 
the Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine. Seven 
of them are in place. They are of painted mosaic 
glass made by Messrs. James Powell & Sons of White- 
friars, London, according to the methods used in the 
thirteenth century and cost $10,000 and upwards 
apiece. Each window is of three lights with rose 
window at the top, and is 28 feet high and 17 feet 
wide. The seven windows above the entrances to 
the Seven Chapels of Tongues (north to south) are 
designed to symbolize in their circular lights the mes¬ 
sages to the seven churches in Asia mentioned in the 
Book of Revelation (i. 11), in the order there named: 
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Phila¬ 
delphia and Laodicea. They are connected by the in¬ 
scriptions in their lower borders which read consecu¬ 
tively as' follows: 

“Grace be unto you and Peace from Him || Which is 
and Which was and Which is to come 11 From the Seven 
Spirits which are before His throne || Jesus Christ the Faith¬ 
ful Witness || The First Begotten of the Dead || The Prince 
of the Kings of the Earth. || To Him be Glory and Dominion 
for ever and ever” (Rev. i. 4-6). 

These windows, which are of surpassing charm to 
the unaided eye, flash out with extraordinary bril¬ 
liancy of color and affecting beauty of composition 
and execution, particularly those called “Christ Reign¬ 
ing in Glory” and “the Woman in the Sun,” when 
examined with long distance glasses (apply to Ver¬ 
ger), although the less brilliant windows contain sub¬ 
tle details well worth studying, as, for instance, the 
symbolisms of the elements held by the angels in the 
window above the Chapel of St. Boniface. Individ¬ 
ually, from north to south: 


60 


&>t. 3Tofjn aitb tfje g>eben Cfjurcfjeg are the subject 
of the window above the Chapel of St. Ansgarias. In 
the upper part of the central light, St. John between 
two praying angels is depicted in the character of 
Apostle, beardless, and holding the sacramental cup— 
the young St. John, symbolical of love and high ideals 
and the feeling which filled all his writings; while in 
the lower part he appears as the aged exile on the Isle 
of Patmos, sitting with book in lap and pen in hand, 
listening to the angel behind him who commands him 
to write (Rev. i. 11). In the side lights are the 
angels of the seven churches (i. 11), bearing on scrolls 
their names: (Upper left) Ephesus; (lower left) 
Smyrna and Pergamos; (upper right) Thyatira and 
Sardis; (lower right) Philadelphia and Laodicea. In 
the circular light at the top are the name “Ephesus” 
and a shield bearing the seven candles mentioned in 
the message to the church of Ephesus (ii. 1). In the 
lower border of the three lights runs the inscription: 
“Grace be || unto you and Peace || from Him.” The 
window was given by Mrs. E. C. Ludlow Johnson in 
memory of Gabriel Ludlow. 

QZfje Natural Clements; upon which the vials of 
the wrath of God were poured (Rev. xvi. 2-17) are 
the principal subject of the window above the Chapel 
of St. Boniface. In the lower part of the left side 
light is an angel holding between his hands the earth 
(green foliage) ; in the middle light three angels re¬ 
spectively holding the air (invisible), the sun (yellow 
glow), and the sea (green waves); and in the right 
side light an angel holding the rivers and fountains 
(blue currents). In the upper part of the middle light 
is the Lamb that was slain (v. 12) between the four 
beasts (iv. 7) which are in the side lights—on the 
left, the lion and the beast with the face of a man; 


6J 


and on the right, the ox and the eagle.* In the cir¬ 
cular light at the top are the word “Smyrna” and a 
shield bearing the crown of life mentioned in the mes¬ 
sage to the church in Smyrna (ii. 10). In the bottom 
border is the inscription: “Which is and 11 Which was 
and Which [ [ is to come.” A tablet in the Ambula¬ 
tory reads as follows: 

“The Clerestory Window Above || the Chapel of Saint 
Boniface || is Dedicated || to the Glory of God || and || in 
Loving Memory of |j Annie Allen Wallace || February 14, 
1853-August 25, 1890.”f 

QTfje g>eben Ulngels toitfj trumpets (Rev. viii. 2) 
are the main subject of the window above the Chapel 
of St. Columha. Three of them are in the lower part 
of the middle light and two in each of the side lights. 
In the upper part of the middle light is the mighty 
angel of the cloud, overarched by the rainbow, stand¬ 
ing upon the sea, and holding aloft in his left hand 
the little open book (x. 1, 2). In the upper part of 
the left side light is the angel with the seal of the 
living God (vii. 2) and in the right side light the 
angel with the golden censer (viii. 3). In the middle 
of the side lights are four angels (two left and two 
right) blowing the four winds of the earth (vii. 1). 
In the circular light at the top are the name 
“Pergamos” and a shield bearing the sharp two-edged 
sword of Him who sent the message to the church 
in Pergamos (ii. 12) between the Greek letters IHC 
and XPC (Jesus Christ.)+ In the bottom border are 
the words: “From the seven || Spirits which are be¬ 
fore! | His throne.” A tablet in the Ambulatory reads 
as follows: 

* See reference to the symbols of the four Evangelists on page 44. 

t See page 93 for anecdote of the Dove of Peace connected' with 
this window. 

t See page 74 following. 


62 


“The Clerestory Window Above the ||Chapel of Saint Co- 
lumbal | is Erected11 to the Glory of God||and||in Loving 
Memory| |of 111797 John Williams Leeds 1873111800 Eliza Leeds 
188511Emily Irene Harden'bergh 1899| |By Their Daughter and 
Sister| |Josephine Eliza Leeds||A. D. 1915.” 

CfjUSt Ixeignutg tn <g>lorp, as described in the first 
chapter of the Book of Revelation, is the principal 
subject of the great central window above the Chapel 
of St. Saviour. In the central light is the Son of 
Man, with up-raised hands, vested as King and Priest, 
wearing a royal crown, a crimson mantle and a golden 
pallium. He stands in the midst of the seven candle¬ 
sticks (i. 13), holds in his right hand the seven stars 
(i. 16, 20), and is surrounded by winged seraphim. 
Beneath him a rainbow (iv. 3) over-arches the sea of 
glass (iv. 6). In the side lights are the four principal 
archangels: St. Michael (left, above.) is depicted in 
armor as the Prince of the Celestial Armies, while the 
balance in his left hand, supposed to contain the souls 
of the dead, symbolizes his character as Guardian 
Angel of Departed Spirits. St. Raphael, below him, 
with pilgrim’s staff, is represented as the friendly 
traveller, recalling Milton’s “affable archangel.” St. 
Gabriel (right, above,) appears as Angel of the An¬ 
nunciation, as indicated by the lilies (symbol of purity) 
in his right hand; and below him is St. Uriel, as 
Angel of Light, holding the sun.f In the circular 
window at the top are two angels holding the morning 
star mentioned in the message to the church in 
Thyatira (ii. 28), but the name “Thyatira” is lacking. 
In the border at the bottom of the three lights are 
the words: “Jesus Christ || the Faithful || Witness.” 
The window was given by Mrs. Whitelaw Reid. A 
tablet in the Ambulatory reads: 

f The poetic beauty of this window tempts one to re-read Milton’s 
“Paradise Lost.” The beautiful legend of St. Raphael, the friendly 
traveller, a favorite subject of art, is to be found in the Book of 
Tobit, in the Apochrypha. 


63 



“The East Window || is Erected in Memory of || White- 
law Reid || October 27, 1837—December 15, 1912” 

QTfje jg>eben Hast ^plagues (Rev. xv. 1) are the 

principal subject of the window above the entrance 
to the Chapel of St. Martin of Tours. These are 
represented in the lower part of the window by seven 
angels holding the seven vials containing the plagues, 
three in the central light and two in each of the side 
lights. In the upper part of the middle light is an 
angel holding aloft in his right hand the everlasting 
Gospel (xiv. 6) in the form of a scroll bearing (ob¬ 
scurely) the symbols of the four Evangelists. In the 
upper part of the left side light is the angel with the 
measuring rod (xi. 1), and in the right side light is 
the angel standing in the sun (not to be confused 
with the woman in the sun mentioned in the next 
window,) calling the fowls of the air to the supper 
of the great God (xix. 17). In the circular light at 
the top are the name “Sardis” and a shield bearing 
a white dove in the midst of the seven stars (the 
seven Spirits of God,) mentioned in the message to 
the church in Sardis (iii. 1). In the border at the 
bottom of the three lights are the words: “The First || 
Begotten of || the Dead.” A tablet in the Ambulatory 
reads: 

“The Clerestory Window Above || the Chapel of St. 
Martin of Tours || is Erected to the Glory of God || and in 
T.oving Memory of || Sophia R. C. Furniss l| and || Mary B. 
Hubber || by || Margaret E. Zimmerman || nee Furniss 11 
Blessed are the peace-makers for they || shall be called the 
children of God.” 

)t OTomatt ttt tfje Hmn is the title of the window 
above the entrance to the Chapel of St. Ambrose. In 
the central light is the woman clothed with the sun 
and wearing the crown of twelve stars (Rev. xii. 1). 
She is surrounded by a dazzling radiance of flaming 
rays. Above her, a cloud of glory is carrying her 

61 


Child up to the throne of God. (xii. 5). In the left 
side light, above, is the angel proclaiming the fall of 
Babylon (xiv. 8), and below, symbolizing that wicked 
city, the woman in scarlet holding the golden cup of 
abominations and seated on the beast from the bot¬ 
tomless pit (xvii. 4, 18). In the right side light, 
above, is the angel with the sharp sickle and the clus¬ 
ters of the vine (xiv. 18), and below, the angel with 
the keys to the bottomless pit and the chain to bind 
the dragon (xx. 1). The whole window symbolizes 
the triumph of Christ over the forces of evil. In the 
circular light at the top are the name “Philadelphia” 
and a shield upon which, between six D’s, is the key 
of David mentioned in the message to the church in 
Philadelphia (iii. 7). In the border at the bottom 
are the words: “The Prince || of the Kings of || the 
Earth.” A tablet in the Ambulatory is inscribed: 

“The Clerestory Window Above || the Chapel of Saint 
Ambrose || is Erected to || the Glory of God || and in Loving 
Memory of || Morgan Lewis Livingston || 1800-1869 || and || 
Catharine Manning Livingston || 1810-1886 || By Their Daugh¬ 
ter || Julia Livingston || 1916.” 

{Edje J^eabenlp City is the principal subject of the 
window above the entrance to the Chapel of St. James. 
In the lower part of the middle light is the angel show¬ 
ing to St. John the Heavenly City (Rev. xxi. 10 et 
sea.) and in the upper part is a glorified figure sym¬ 
bolizing the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down 
from God out of heaven prepared as a bride adorned 
for her husband (xxi. 2). Beneath this figure in the 
upper part is the pure river of water of life, and on 
either side of it is the tree of life whose leaves are 
for the healing of the nations (xxii. 1-2). In the 
lower part of the left-hand light is the angel with the 
Alpha, and in the corresponding part of the. right- 
hand light is the angel with the Omega (xxii. 13) ; 


65 


while above each of them is a beckoning angel saying 
“Come” (xxii. 17). In the circular light at the top 
are the name of the church of Laodicea and the word 
“Amen”—the latter being the name of the sender of 
the message to the Laodiceans (iii. 14) and the word 
with which the Book of Revelation and the Bible end 
(xxii. 21). In the bottom border of the three lights 
is the inscription: “To Him be Glory | | and Dominion 
for | | Ever and Ever.” The window was given in 
memory of Mary C. and Dr. John D. Ogden by their 
children Francis L. Ogden, Margaret Ogden, Mrs. 
Gardiner Sherman and Mrs. Francis C. McNutt. 

W)t ambulatory 

The Ambulatory (12-12-12) is a passage about 20 
feet wide leading entirely around the Choir and giving 
access to the seven Chapels of Tongues, the Sacristy, 
and other environments of the Choir. Some of the 
features have already been described. The symbolism 
of the earthly life in the pavement, before mentioned 
(p. 51), is noticeable in the large areas of clay-red 
tiles with borders of grassy green serpentine and green 
marble from Pennsylvania. The beautifully colored 
wainscoting between the great pillars is of Grecian 
marble from the island of Scyrus. The Ambulatory 
is entered through elaborately wrought steel gateways, 
30 feet high, in the archways on either side of the 
great arch of the Choir. The gates, made by Messrs. 
Warren & Wetmore, were presented by the Cathedral 
League and the Diocesan Auxiliary. In the south 
Ambulatory gateway is a white marble tablet, showing 
in relief two angels and two portrait medallions of 
Mr. and Mrs. Levi P. Morton, and bearing the fol¬ 
lowing inscription: 

“To the Glory of God || and || in Enduring Memory 
of || Levi Parsons Morton |l 1824-1920 || Vice-President of 
66 




THE FOUNDER’S TOMB 





































































the United States || Governor of the State of New York || 
and || of His Wife || Anna Livingston Morton || 1846- 
1918 |! Whose Gifts Made Possible the || Building and the 
Furnishing of || the Choir of this Cathedral || Yea saith 
the Spirit that They || May Rest from Their Labours || and 
Their Works do Follow Them.” 

Jfounbet*’# GToinb, containing the remains of 
Bishop Horatio Potter, sixth Bishop of New York,* 
in the Ambulatory between the fourth and fifth great 
pillars opposite the entrance to St. Saviour’s Chapel, 
is a beautiful example of an “altar tomb” such as are 
seen in many English churches. Its position, imme¬ 
diately behind the High Altar, is that traditionally re¬ 
served for the Founder of a cathedral. It is designed 
in the English Gothic style of the 15th century after 
studies of the tomb of Edward the Confessor in West¬ 
minster Abbey. The sarcophagus, the recumbent fig¬ 
ure of the Bishop and the figures of the five orna¬ 
mental niches of the front are of Indiana limestone. 
The figures, from left to right, are those of (1) 
Edward the Confessor, with crown, scepter and orb; 
(2) St. Remigius, with cup and scourge; (3) St. John 
the Divine, with pen, book and eagle; (4) St. Isidore, 
with miter, pallium and crozier; and (5) St. Theo¬ 
dosius of the Eastern Church, wearing a coronet with 
cross, holding a staff and reading from a scroll. 
Above the niches is a decorative moulding of oak 
leaves and acornsf with little squirrels at the ends. 
On the edge of the slab on which the Bishop’s figure 
rests is inscribed: 

“Horatio Potter, D.D., D.C.L., Oxon. || Sixth Bishop 
of New York, Founder of this Cathedral. Died 2d Jany 
1887, Aged 85 Yrs.” 


* Uncle of Bishop Henry Codnian Potter, seventh Bishop of New 
York, whose tomb is in the Chapel of St. James. 

t The symbolism applicable to Bishop Potter’s work is that of 
the familiar adage, “Great oaks from little acorns grow.” 


68 



On the rear of the sarcophagus is inscribed “St. 
John’s Day AS Anno Domini 1921,” the day on which 
the Bishop’s remains were transferred from Pough¬ 
keepsie to this tomb. Above the tomb, reaching to 
a height of 15 feet above the pavement, is a canopy 
of American oak with richly carved frieze and cresting, 
supported on corbels springing from the great granite 
columns on either side. A narrow stairway behind 
the columns and the tomb leads to a landing which 
permits a closer view of the figure of Bishop Potter. 
The architect was Mr. Thomas Nash of New York 
and the sculptor of the figures was Mr. Isidore Konti 
of Yonkers, N. Y. 

3Brotmtcll jHemortal ^Tablet on the wall of the 
bay at the entrance to the Chapel of St. Ansgarius 
reads as follows: 

“In Memory of||The Right Reverend 11 Thomas Church 
Brownell, S.T.D., LL.D.I (Born 1779 Died 1865||Third Bishop 
of Connecticut 1819-18551 [Presiding Bishop 1852-186511and11 
in Grateful Remembrance of the Foundation of11 the Bishop 
Brownell Memorial Fund for the11 Endowment of the Cathe¬ 
dral by His Daughter11 Frances Johnston Holland.” 

QTfje Cfjotr Sterne on one of the piers of the 
Ambulatory near the Chapel of St. Ansgarius, is the 
bust of a boy of the class of 1911, carved by Mr. 
William Scott. It represents the choir boys’ contribu¬ 
tion to the building of the Cathedral. 

]t ££>eben Cfmpete of ®ongue£ 

The seven Chapels of Tongues, built around the 
Choir on lines converging toward the Sanctuary and 
deriving their name from the fact that they were 
intended for services of the church in the languages 
of the principal ethnological groups or regions of the 
world, are one of the noblest conceptions of the Cathe¬ 
dral. In early Gothic churches, the fundamental idea 


69 


of the apse with radiating chapels was Christ in the 
company of his Saints. Here, in the great cosmopol¬ 
itan Diocese of New York, this idea has appropriately 
been carried a step further in these chapels to include 
the idea of all the nations of the earth gathered around 
the Altar of the Saviour of Mankind. They recall the 
cry of the multitude in Jerusalem at Pentecost: “How 
hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we 
were born . . . the wonderful works of God” 

(Acts ii. 8, 11). Among the interesting services held 
in these chapels are those in the eastern (St. Saviour’s) 
chapel for the Japanese and Chinese in their languages 
and for colored people in English. The spirit fostered 
by these chapels is occasionally reflected in great con¬ 
gregations, entirely of Italians, entire’y of negroes, or 
predominantly of some other race, at services held in 
the main part of the Cathedral filling it to its utmost 
capacity.* Services in English are held in one or 
more of the chapels every day of the year, and often¬ 
times weddings and baptisms are held in them. As 
a group, the seven Chapels of Tongues eloquently 
express the catholic and democratic spirit of the Cathe¬ 
dral of St. John the Divine referred to on page 14. 
They may be visited in order either from south to 
north or north to south; but by beginning on the 
south side they will be seen in the order in which they 
were observed on the exterior (p. 31), and by look¬ 
ing through the archways of the Choir to the opposite 
side of the Ambulatory, glimpses may be had of the 
tapestries and the clerestory windows in the order in 
which they have been described. The chapels are all 
separate gifts and are memorials of the persons men¬ 
tioned under their respective headings following: 

* The congregational singing, always a feature of the Cathedral 
services, js remarkable on these occasions, especially with the colored 
congregations, among whom are often heard voices of exceptional quality. 


70 


?Ef)e Cfjapel of S>t. James 

St. James, the Apostle, after whom this chapel is named, 
was the son of Zebedee and was a Galilean fisherman. He is 
sometimes called St. James the Great to distinguish him from 
another Apostle called St. James the Less. He was a brother 
of St. John the Divine. He went almost everywhere with the 
Lord. After the ascension, he preached a while in Judea and 
then in Spain. After his mission there, he was beheaded by 
the Jews, and, according to tradition, his body was miracu¬ 
lously transported back to Spain, where his relics are said to 
rest at Compostella. Spanish historians chronicle 38 instances 
in which he is believed to have descended from heaven and in 
shining white armor led the Spanish armies against the Moors. 
Under the Spanish equivalent of his name, St. Iago or Sant¬ 
iago, he became the patron saint of Spain and his name was 
adopted as the Spanish war-cry. His shrine at Compostella 
was one of the most popular for pilgrimages in the Middle 
Ages, and it was said that two visits to Compostella equaled 
one to Rome. St. James is usually represented in the dress 
of a pilgrim with a peculiar staff. His Memorial Day is 
July 25. 

The Chapel of St. James (13 on plan), designed by 
Mr. Henry Vaughan, is in pure English Gothic Archi¬ 
tecture of the 14th century; 66 feet long and 39 wide, 
with a sort of transept on the north side 15 feet wide; 
seats 250 persons, and cost about $200,000. Its inte¬ 
rior walls are of Bedford, Ind., limestone. On the 
front of the Altar of gray Knoxville, Tenn. marble, 
is sculptured DaVinci’s Last Supper. The central 
feature of the limestone Reredos is a relief represent¬ 
ing the Transfiguration, after Raphael. In four niches, 
two on either side of the Transfiguration, are statues 
of the four Evangelists with their appropriate em¬ 
blems at their feet (left to right:) St. Matthew with 
winged man; St. Mark with lion; St. Luke with ox; 
and St. John with eagle. Beneath the Transfiguration 
is a smaller sculpture of the Nativity, with an alleluia 
angel on each side. On four escutcheons, two on each 
side of the Nativity, are emblems of the condemnation 


71 


and crucifixion (left to right:) (1) Crown of thorn? 
and spear (John xix. 2, 5, 34) ; (2) pillar to which 
Christ was bound for scourging, cord, knotted scourge 
(John xix. 1) and sponge on reed (John xix. 29) ; 
(3) ladder, sponge on reed and spear; and (4) ham¬ 
mer, pincers, coat, and three dice (Mark xv. 24). 
Beautifully carved canopies surmounted by six ador¬ 
ing angels crown the Reredos. The stained glass 
East Window, by C. E. Kempe & Co. of London 
above the Reredos, depicts in its three lights (left to 
right) St. Lawrence, St. James and St. Vincent. In 
two walled-up panels of the window, one on each side 
of the glass, are statues of St. Peter with keys (left) 
and St. Paul with sword (right). The Saint Janies 
Window in the middle bay of the south aisle portrays 
in its four lights scenes in the life of the patron saint 
of Spain (see page 71) and other subiects, as follows, 
reading from left to right: Bottom, (1) Coat-of-arms 
of St. John and the words, “James, servant of God 
(2) St. James preaching to the natives of Spain; (3) 
St. James before the judge, forgiving his accuser and 
giving him his blessing, “Peace be with thee;” (4) 
Coat-of-arms of King Ramira I of Spain, and the 
words (to be read with those first quoted), “And of 
the Lord Jesus Christ.” Middle, (1) “Unto his shrine 
the mighty and the lowly fared on pilgrimage;” (2) 
“St. Tames, the radiant knight, upon a great white 
horse;” (3) “Before the banner of his name the Moor¬ 
ish warriors fled;” (4) “At Compostella sttill men 
serve Santiago’s shrine.” Top, (1) angel with IC-XC 
symbol; (2) “Thev bore his body to a ship that sailed 
for Spain;” (3) “Over his tomb they built a chapel 
passing fair;” (4) Angel with Tchthus symbol.* 
In the tracery at the extreme top is a represen- 

* Concerning the IC-XC symbol, see page 34. Concerning the Ichthus 
symbol, see page 116 


72 



THE SANCTUARY OF THE CHAPEL OF ST. JAMES 



























tation of the Crucifixion. The window was given 
by Bishop Potter’s daughters and was designed 
and made by Mr. Henry Wynd Young, glass- 
painter, of New York City. In niches of the 
walls of the chapel are the following statues and sym¬ 
bols: East Wall, St. Augustine of England with cro- 
zier (left) and St. Gregory the Great (who sent him 
to England) with papal tiara and papal cross (right) 
West Wall , end of main aisle, above, Christ between 
his kinsmen St. James the Great (left) and St. James 
the Less (right) ; and at end of south aisle, the Vener¬ 
able Bede. On four escutcheons, two on each side 
of the west door, are: (1) A floriated cross (em¬ 
blematic of the flowering or productiveness of the 
Christian religion); (2) the monogram tfjc (repre¬ 
senting the first two and last letters, uncial form, of 
the Greek word for Jesus*) ; (3) the Greek cross 
form of the chi rho monogram (first two Greek let¬ 
ters of the name Christ) ; and (4) the Alpha and 
Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alpha¬ 
bet, (Rev. i. 8). North Wall, statue of William of 
Wykeham. In the upper part of the north wall is the 
gallery of the organ, which is independent of the great 
organ of the Cathedral. Choir Stalls near the Altar 
are a distinctive feature of this chapel. Two clus¬ 
tered columns divide the south aisle into three bays 
in the middle one of which is Bishop Potter s Tomb. 
of Siena marble. On the tomb is a recumbent figure 
of the Bishop in Serevezza marble, by Mr. Tames E 
Frazer. The Bishop is represented in his episcopal 
robes, and the execution is so fine that even the tex¬ 
ture of the lawn sleeves is apparent. On the front 

* These letters ihc and the corresponding capitals IHC (iota, eta, 
sigma,) are the first two and last letters of the Greek word for Jesus. 
They are frequently associated with the letters XPC (chi, rho, sigma.) 
the first two and last letters of the word for Christ. When converted 
into the Roman form of ihs or IHS, they are sometimes construed 
to be the initials of the words Jesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus 
Saviour of Men). 


74 



of the tomb is inscribed: 

“Henry Codman Potter 11 MDCCCLXXXIII Assistant 
Bishop of New York MDCCCLXXXVII || Bishop of New 
York 11 MDCCCLXXXVII-MCMVIII || Upholder of Right¬ 
eousness and Truth || Soldier and Servant of Jesus Christ.” 

On the rear: 

“He laboured that this Cathedral Church |j Should rise to 
the Glory of God and as || A witness to the Life of our Lord 
and Master Jesus J| Christ that here the prayers of the chil¬ 
dren || of many lands should rise to that || Father in whom 
alone all men are brothers 11 Whose service is perfect 
freedom.” 

Around the edge of the top slab: 

“I saw the Holy City coming down from God out of 
Heaven || and I heard a great voice saying || Behold the tab¬ 
ernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them|| 
and they shall be his people.” 

On the west wall is inscribed: 

“The Chapel of St. James || Consecrated || May 2, 1916 || 
To the Worship of || Almighty God || And in Loving Memory 
of || Henry Codman Potter 11 Bishop of New York || Born 
May 25, 1834 || Died July 21, 1908 U The Gift of His Wife || 
Elizabeth Scriven Potter || Born September 30, 1848 || Died 
March 4, 1909.” 

g>tor|> of tfje JPltnb Woman. A beautiful and 
touching incident occurred in the Chapel of St. James 
a few years ago. One day, a woman who was blind, 
deaf, and could make only a few hardly articulate 
sounds, but who was cultured and could read by 
touch, visited the Cathedral with another woman. 
The Verger, the late Charles F. Barnard, first led 
her the full length of the Cathedral in order that she 
might comprehend its size. Then the general features 
of the edifice were communicated by her friend by 
the touch of their hands. The wood and stone carv¬ 
ings, however, she read with her own fingers. When 
she came to the Chapel of St. James, she wished to 
feel of Bishop Potter’s features as reproduced in the 
effigy on his tomb, but on account of the delicacy 

75 


of the marble, visitors are not allowed to touch it. 
The blind woman, however, produced from her bag 
a pair of thin white gloves, and by signs asked if she 
might feel of the statue if she put them on. The 
Verger assenting, she ran her fingers deftly over the 
Bishop’s countenance, felt of the signet ring on his 
finger, etc., and then, satisfied, proceeded to the Altar. 
Here she knelt down and began to feel of the relief 
representing DaVinci’s Last Supper. As soon as she 
recognized the work, she threw up her hands in ec¬ 
stasy and exclaimed in broken accents, the best she 
could utter, “Vinci! Vinci!” The venerable Verger, 
in relating this incident, said that he was moved to 
tears by the spectacle of the blind woman, kneeling 
before the Altar, with up-raised hands, “seeing” the 
Cathedral through the sense of touch. One may well 
ask, if this blind woman could see so much spiritual 
beauty in the Cathedral without eyes, how much more 
ought those to see who have the blessed gift of sight. 

®fje Cfjapel of ^>t. Sntfjrose 

St. Ambrose, or Ambrogio, the namesake of this chapel, 
was born in Treves about 340, the son of a Roman Prefect 
in Gaul (now France). While in his cradle one day, a swarm 
of bees settled upon him, clustering around his mouth, but 
doing him no harm. A similar thing having happened to 
Plato, it was considered an omen of future greatness. He 
studied law at Rome, became a magistrate in upper Italy 
with court at Milan, and by his wisdom and gentleness won 
such popular esteem that when called upon to settle of suc¬ 
cession of the bishopric of Milan between the Arians and 
Catholics he himself was chosen by both parties to be Bishop 
of that see. He was one of the most celebrated fathers of 
the church. His most distinctive symbol is the beehive, 
although two human bones, the scourge, the crozier, the 
mitre, etc., are sometimes used. The Memorial Day for St. 
Ambrose is kept on April 4. 

The Chapel of St. Ambrose (14 on plan), designed 
by Messrs. Carrere & Hastings, is in modern Renais- 


76 


sance Architecture. It is about 50 feet long and 27 
wide, seats 100 persons and cost over $150,000. The 
floor is inlaid with grey Siena and red Verona mar¬ 
bles, bordered with cream colored Cenere marble. 
The walls are lined with Rosato marble. On the under 
side of the marble archway at the entrance are reliefs 
representing the Three Persons of the Trinity with 
angels, as follows: (Left) the Father in human 
form*, with triangular nimbus, holding the globe of 
sovereignty; angel with lute; angel with lily; (top) 
the Holy -Ghost in form of the dove; angel with trum¬ 
pet; angel praying; and (right) the Son in form of 
the Paschal Lamb. The false perspective of the side 
walls is similar to that in the Sacristy of the Cathedral 
of Siena. In the spandrels of the false arches of the 
left-hand wall (as one faces the Altar) are figures in 
relief (reading from entrance toward Altar) of: 
Moses and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel; 
and on the opposite wall, in same order, St. Matthew 
with cherub, St. Mark with lion, St. Luke with ox, 
and St. John with eagle. The ceiling is of white 
marble carved in low relief. From the ceiling hang 
four silver lamps, one an antique Italian lamp and the 
others copied from it. On the front of the Altar of 
alabaster are three golden ornaments, representing the 
Paschal Lamb (Christ) between two angels swinging 
censers, the latter symbolizing the prayers of all saints 
(Rev. viii. 3). The Rcredos, not copied from any one 
European prototype but inspired by many examples 
found in the transitional and early Renaissance period 
in Italy, is of carved wood overlaid with gold leaf. 
The lower part consists of a triptych, covered by an 
elaborate canopy and flanked by niches in which are 
statues of St. Francis (left) and St. Ambrose (right). 

* This rare representation of God the Father in human form is 
after examples developed during and confined almost entirely to the 
14th 16th centuries. The triangular nimbus is peculiarly the symbol of 
God the Father. Note description of Reredos. 

77 


In niches at the left of the canopy are figures (left to 
right) of a kneeling angel, St. Benedict with crozier, 
St. Agnes in female apparel, and Dante in red gown 
and hood; and at the right (same order) Fra Angelico, 
Galileo with globe, Savonarola, and kneeling angel. 
Upon the cross of the canopy is a dove, symbolizing 
God the Holy Ghost; above that is the all-seeing eye 
in a triangle v*»thin a sun-burst, symbolizing God the 
Father; and on the top-most spire is the figure of God 
the Son. holding a cross and pronouncing a benedic¬ 
tion. The Apse Windows, one on each side of the 
Altar, transmit a soft amber light which gives a pecu¬ 
liar charm to this chapel. Each has a border of Italian 
Renaissance tracery, within which is a field of many 
small panes of leaded glass. In the left window these 
panes are ornamented with repeated designs represent¬ 
ing the chalice with emerging serpent and the eagle 
(symbols of St. John), flowers, and the chi-rho mono¬ 
gram. In the upper part are the seven stars and 
candlesticks from the Cathedral seal, and the legend, 
“Sigil. Eccles. Cath. S. Johan;” and in the lower part 
the words, “For God is the King of all the Earth. 
Sing ye Praises with Understanding.” In the right 
window the panes are ornamented with repetitions of 
the bee-hive, mitre and scourges (symbols of St. Am¬ 
brose), the cross and wreath, flowers, and the IC-XC 
and IHS symbols. Near the middle is a small frag¬ 
ment of brown glass, marked with an “R”, from 
Rheims Cathedral. In the upper part is the coat-of- 
arms of St. Ambrose—the bee-hive, mitre and croziers 
—with the legend, “Sigil. Sanct. Ambrosii,” and in the 
lower part are the words, “God is our Refuge 
and Strength, a Very Present Help in Trouble.” 
The windows were made by Mr. Henry Wynd 
Young, glass-painter, under the supervision of 
Messrs. Godwin & Sullivant, architects, of New York. 


Along the side walls are Stalls and Wainscoting 
of dark Italian walnut, inlaid with pear-wood in de¬ 
signs including the star of the east, chalice, Latin cross, 
patriarchal cross, and Bishop’s mitre. Inlaid in the 
top border of the wainscoting is this inscription: 

(Left) “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven 
and earth are || full of thy glory. Glory be to Thee, O Lord 
Most High. || Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the 
Lord. Hosannah in the Highest. || (Right) O Lamb of God, 
that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace. 11 
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will 
towards men. || Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, 
art most high in the Glory of God the Father.” 

The wrought iron Italian Screen at the entrance to 
the chapel is best seen from the inside. Upon the 
finials at either end are angels blowing trumpets, and 
the space between them is divided by seven tall candle¬ 
sticks into eight spaces, in which are bronze groups 
representing scenes in the life of St. Ambrose (left 
to right:) (1) His youth; (2) settling the succession 
of the bishopric of Milan; (3) his baptism; (4) nuns 
and (5) monks, listening to the preaching of St. Am¬ 
brose, wlio stands between them facing the Altar; 
(0) the public penance before St. Ambrose of Em¬ 
peror Theodosius who caused the massacre of the 
Thessalonians; (7) laying the cornerstone of the 
Church of St. Ambrogio in Milan; and (8) his death. 
Beneath the figure of St. Ambrose who stands between 
the nuns and monks is a bee-hive with crossed croziers. 
The screen was designed bv Mr. Thomas Hastings 
and was made by Messrs. E. E. Caldwell & Co., of 
New York. On the south wall is inscribed: 

“To the || Glory of God || and in || Loving Memory || 
of || Augustus Whiting || Sarah Swan Whiting 11 Jane Whit¬ 
ing !| Amelia Whiting Davis II Augustus Whiting, Jr., || Natica 
Rives Burden || This Chapel || has been Erected by || Sara 
\Vhiting Rives.” 


79 


®fje Ctjapel of &t. jWartin of STourst 

St. Martin, after whom this chapel is named, born in 
316, in his young manhood was a Roman soldier in Gaul. 
One wintry day, (according to the traditional story related 
by Ruskin in his “Bible of Amiens,”) when Martin was riding 
forth from the city of Amiens, he saw a beggar shivering by 
the roadside; whereupon he divided his cloak with his sword 
and gave one half to the beggar. That night in a vision he 
saw Christ wearing the half cloak and surrounded by angels. 
And Christ said to the angels: “Know ye who hath thus 
arrayed me? My servant Martin, though yet unbaptized, hath 
done this.” After this, Martin was baptized; but he remained 
a soldier for 17 years. Then, after several years of religious 
works, he was made Bishop of Tours. It is related that one 
day, when going to church in his full robes, he practically 
repeated the charitable act beforementioned by giving his 
stole to a ragged beggar; and when St. Martin was at the 
altar, elevating the Host, a globe of light appeared above him 
and angels descended and hung chains of gold and jewels 
(not of earth) on his bare arms. Sweet, serene and dearly 
beloved, he was Bishop and Knight of the Poor, and the 
divided cloak and sword are his special symbols. The Memo¬ 
rial Day for St. Martin is kept on November 11. 

The Chapel of St. Martin of Tours (15 on plan), 
designed by Messrs. Cram & Ferguson, is in early 
13th century Gothic Architecture; about the same size 
as the Chapel of St. Ambrose; and cost about $150,000 
Its interior walls are faced with light colored Bedford, 
lnd. limestone. The lower half of the walls is occu¬ 
pied by Gothic arcatures. in the trefoiled arches of 
which are fleurs de lis. Under the fleurs de lis, in 
mediaeval text, runs the inscription: 

(Left side:) “They that || be wise || shall shine || as the 
bright-|| ness of || the firm-11 ament 11 and they II that turn 11 
many to |! righteous- || ness as the |] stars forever || and ever II 
(Right side:) The Peace || of God which 11 passeth || all 
under- 11 standing || shall keep || your hearts || and minds 11 
through 11 Christ || Jesus.” 

A little above the arcature is a border of roses. 
The upper half of the side walls presents a unique 
feature in a sort of triforium gallery built in the 


80 


thickness of the wall. The pavement of Knoxville, 
Tenn. pink marble is bordered with black Belgian 
marble. The simple marble Altar in the form of a 
table resting on red marble pillars has no reredos. 
The Seven Windows , three in the Sanctuary and four 
in the clerestory, by Mr. Charles Connick of Boston, 
Mass., are of grisaille* work in geometrical designs, 
the Sanctuary windows being inset with pictorial 
medallions in painted mosaic glass in the mediaeval 
style. In the central window over the Altar the 
medallions depict scenes in the life of St. Martin as 
follows, beginning at the bottom and reading upward: 
In the left-hand light (1) St. Martin receives sword 
and enters army; (2) divides his cloak with the beg¬ 
gar; (3) has vision of Christ wearing the severed 
c’oak which he had given to the beggar; and (4) is 
baptized. In the middle light, (1) He converts the 
robber; (2) revives the dead man; (3) is affectionately 
welcomed on his return to Tours; and (4) destroys 
the heathen temple. In the right-hand light, (1) He 
intercedes with Count Avitianus for the release of 
prisoners; (2) pleads for Priscillian’s life; (3) dies; 
and (4) the ship bearing his body is mysteriously 
propelled. In the middle light of the window at the 
left of the Altar are scenes in the life of St. Louis: 
(1) His coronation; (2) his release of prisoners at 
Paris; (3) his ministration to sick soldiers during 
the first Crusade; and (4) his departure on the 
second Crusade. In the middle light of the window 
at the right of the Altar are scenes in the life of 
Joan of Arc: (1) Her vision; (2) the capture 
of Orleans; (3) the coronation of Charles VII.; 
and (4) her martyrdom at the stake. In the cir- 

* Grisaille, from the French “gris” meaning “gray,” so-called on 
account of the grizzled or grayish brown glass often employed. Win¬ 
dows in geometrical designs are also called pattern windows. Other 
examples of grisaille windows are those in St. Columba Chapel. 


81 



cular lights at the top of the seven windows are the 
following coats-of-arms (left to right) : (1) On a 

blue field, three golden fleurs de lis above a white 
wreath of oak and laurel with red fruit, representing 
the City of Rheims.* (2) On a blue field sprinkled 
with golden fleurs de lis, the Mother and Child, repre¬ 
senting the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. (3) 
Seven horizontal bars, alternately blue and gold, being 
the arms of Bertrand d’Eschaux, Archbishop oi 
Tours. (4) On a blue field, a white Latin cross with 
trefoiled ends, being the arms of the Chapter oi 
Poitiers. (5) On a blue cloak surrounded by red. a 
white sword, cross-hilt upward, emblematic of St. 
Martin. (6) On a blue field sprinkled with golden 
fleurs de lis, a red Greek cross, representing the Arch- 



1 2 3 



4 5 6 7 


Coats of Arms in Windows of Chapel of St. Martin of Tours. 

diocese of Rheims.t (7) On a blue field, three golden 
fleurs de lis under a white “label” or mark of cadency 

* The designer has taken artistic license with these colors. Strictly, 
the arms of the City of Rheims are: On a silver field, a green wreath 
of oak and laurel with red fruit; on a blue chief three fleurs de lis 
of gold. 

t Strictly, the arms of the Archbishop of Rheims are: On a blue 
field sprinkled with golden fleurs de lis, a silver cross over all. 


82 



































of eldest son,J being the royal arms of the Dukes of 
Orleans. A Statue of Joan of Arc, expressing her 
spiritual character, by Miss Anna Vaughn Hyatt, 
was placed in this chapel in 1922. It was given 
by Mr. J. Sanford Saltus through Dr. George 
F. Kunz, President of the Joan of Arc Statue 
Committee which erected the equestrian statue 
of the Maid by the same sculptress in Riverside 
Drive. Near it are two rough stones from the Chateau 
de Rouen in which the Maid was imprisoned at the 
time of her trial and from which she was led to the 
stake. The wrought-iron Screen of beautiful trac¬ 
ery at the entrance, designed in the office of Messrs. 
Cram & Ferguson and made by Messrs. F. Krasser 
& Co., of Boston, is a particularly lovely example of 
this form of art. While not copied from any exist¬ 
ing mediaeval prototype, it shows the influence of the 
wrought-iron work of the Romanesque and earlv 
Gothic periods of France. The shell ornament in the 
section below the cornice is symbolical of St. Martin 
as a pilgrim, while the finials and cresting, blossoming 
with roses, signify the flowering of the Christian re¬ 
ligion. In the frieze are four panels depicting four 
scenes which are described in a quaintly lettered in¬ 
scription in the moulding above: 

“S. Martin shares cloak with Beggar || Our Lord appears 
in cloak to S. Martin || S. Martin receives holy baptism || 
Saint Martin journeys to Rome." 

An inscription on the wall of the chapel reads: 

“The Chapel of || Saint Martin of Tours || Consecrated 
1918 || To the worship of 11 Almighty God || and in Loving 
Memory of || William P. Furniss || and His Wife || Sophia 
Furniss||and their Daughter 11 Sophia R. C. Furniss.” 

In another panel is this inscription: 

t In 1376, Charles V. fixed the number of fleurs de lis in the royal 
arms at three “to symbolize the Holy Trinity.” Some persons consider 
that the three leaves of the conventional fleur de lis also symbolize 
the Trinity. 


88 


“To the || Glory of God||and in Loving Memory of || 
Clementina Furniss || by Whose Gift || this Chapel || was 
Erected || and || Margaret Elizabeth Zimmerman || Daughters 
of || William P. Furniss || and his wife || Sophia Furniss.” 

je Clwpel of &t. Umbiour 

Saint Saviour, the name of this chapel, means Holy 
Saviour, the word Saint being used in its primary sense as 
an adjective, derived from the Latin “sanctus.” The Memo¬ 
rial Day for St. Saviour is kept on December 25. 

The Chapel of St. Saviour (16 on plan,) is the 
easternmost of the seven Chapels of Tongues and 
forms the eastern extremity of the Cathedral. Among 
the languages in which services are held in this chapel 
are Japanese and Chinese. When the royal Abys¬ 
sinian Commission to the United States Government 
was formally received at the Cathedral on July 24, 
1919, its members knelt at this altar. The chapel is 
in the English Decorated Gothic style of Architecture 
after designs by Messrs. Heins & LaFarge. It is 56 
feet long and 30J4 feet wide, seats 150 persons, and 
cost about $200,000. Its interior walls are of Minne¬ 
sota dolomite, around the base of which runs a foun¬ 
dation course of red jasper with green serpentine 
moulding like those which run around the Choir. The 
pavement is of stone from Hauteville, France, with a 
mosaic border. The Sanctuary steps are of pink 
marble from Georgia. The Altar, made by Messrs. 
Batterson & Eislie and carved by Mr. Schwartz, is of 
snow-white Carrara marble. Its face and front cor¬ 
ners are adorned by the figures of six angels singing 
“Holy, Holy, Holy.” Carved on the face of the re¬ 
table is the crown of thorns, supported by two cherubs. 
The Reredos is of polished red Siena marble, bordered 
with Venetian mosaic. The Chair and Prayer Desk 
of black walnut at the left side of the Sanctuary have 
an interesting history recited on a brass tablet on the 
desk as follows: 


84 


“The first use of || this chair and prayer desk was made 
by 11 the Most Reverend Randall Thomas Davidson, D.D., || 
Archbishop of Canterbury || in the Crypt of the Cathedral of 
St. John the Divine || on Wednesday morning, September 
28th, A. D. 1904 11 at the celebration of the Holy Communion 
at which 11 His Grace was the celebrant and which preceded 
the 11 opening of the One hundred and twenty-first Conven¬ 
tion | of the Diocese of New York, being also the first open¬ 
ing |j of the Diocesan Synod Hall.” 

The East Window, a glorious work in stained 
glass by Mr. Hardman of Birmingham, Eng., com¬ 
pletely fills the end of the chapel. Its central light is 
occupied by a representation of the Transfiguration 
(Mat. xvii. 1-3). In the middle of the scene is the 
radiant Saviour, with Moses (left) holding the Ten 
Commandments, and Elias (right) holding the recep¬ 
tacle of the scrolls, representing respectively the Law 
and the Prophets.* Surrounding the group are angels ; 
and below it are the three Disciples who were with 
Jesus on the mount: St. Peter (left) looking up, St. 
James (middle) covering his eyes, and St. John, the 
beardless Disciple (right), shading his face. In the 
left side light, above, is Moses putting off his shoes on 
the holy ground before the burning bush from which 
the angel of the Lord appears (Ex. iii. 5) ; and below, 
Moses raising the brazen serpent for healing (Num. 
xxi. 9). The serpent, seen indistinctly coiled around 
the pole, is by artistic license represented in green. 
Tn the right side light, above, is the angel appearing to 
Elijah (I. Kings xix. 5-8) ; and below, Elijah’s sacri¬ 
fice miraculously consumed by the fire of the Lord 
(I. Kings xviii. 30-38). In niches on either side of the 
window are the following Statues of Bishops, saints 
and scholars of the Eastern church: 


* This representation of the Transfiguration, like that in the reredos 
of the Chapel of Saint James described on page 71, is after Raphael’s 
last work, the •original of which is in the Vatican. In both cases the 
poses of the six figures have been adapted to the spaces occupied. 


8 $ 



Left. 

St. Polycarp 
b. 69 d. 155 
Bishop of Smyrna 


Right. 

St. Chrysostom 
b. 347 d. 407 


Archbp. of Constantinople 


St. Athanasius 
b. 296 d. 373 
Primate of Egypt 


St. Basil 
b. 329 d. 379 
Bishop of Caesarea 


St. Gregory Nazianzen 
b. 330 d. 389 


Great eastern scholar 


Bishop of Nazianzus 


b. 185 d. 253 


Origen 


St. Clement of Alexandria 
b. circ. 150 d. 213-220 
Celebrated Church Father 
St. Ignatius 
lx circ. 50 d. 107 
Bishop of Antioch 


In a niche in the upper part of the north wall is a 
statue of St. Peter with key; and in a corresponding 
niche in the south wall one of St. Paul with sword. 
Turning toward the entrance to the chapel, one sees in 
niches between the clustered columns at the sides of 
the great archway in array of angels, five on each side, 
one above the other, corresponding to as many on the 
Ambulatory side,—twenty in all—representing the 
Heavenly Choir. These lovely figures are worthy of 
more than passing notice. All the statuary is by Mr. 
Gutzon Borglum. The four Lamp Standards of Car¬ 
rara marble surmounted by alabaster bowls standing 
in the four corners of the chapel, and carved in relief 
with many symbolical details, were made by Messrs. 
E. F. Caldwell & Co. and carved by Messrs. F. 
Ruggeri and P. Giuntini of New York. The elaborate 
wrought iron Screen, made by the Wm. H. Jackson 
Co. of New York, at the entrance, is in the Italian 
style after one in Orvieto, Italy. It is embellished in 
its upper part by two golden angels holding a wreath 
at the foot of the cross. Looking outward through 
the screen, one sees the back of the High Altar of the 
Cathedral. On one of the walls of the chapel is 
inscribed: 

“This Chapel is Erected to 11 the Glory of God || and in 


86 


Loving Memory of || Bessie Morgan Belmont || by her Hus¬ 
band 11 August Belmont.” 

®tic Cfwpel of H>t. Columtin 

St. Columba was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 
521, of royal blood. After study and religions work in Ire¬ 
land, he set out in 563 with twelve disciples and planted upon 
the Island of Iona, on the west coast of Scotland, which he 
received from his kinsman Conal, King of Scots, a monastery 
which, from the 6th to the 8th centuries, was second to hardly 
any other in Great Britain. From it was conducted a won¬ 
derful missionary work in Scotland, Ireland, the north of 
England, and small adjacent islands. Many miracles are 
attributed to him, and he was accredited with power to sub¬ 
due not only wild tribes of men but also the beasts of the 
wilderness (see p. 32). He died in 597, and his body was 
buried at Iona, which is regarded as one of the great shrines 
of Christianity in Great Britain. The Memorial Day for 
St. Columba is kept on June 9. 

The Chapel of St. Columba, (17 on plan,) designed 
by Messrs. Heins & LaFarge, is in the Norman style 
of Architecture. It is 50 feet long and 27 wide, seats 
100 persons, and cost about $150,000. The interior 
walls are of Minnesota dolomite, separated from a 
base course of polished Mohegan granite by a mould¬ 
ing of yellow Verona marble. The pavement is a fine 
grained gray stone from Illinois. The semi-circular 
arched window heads, and particularly the six large 
cylindrical pillars diversified by spiral and diaper pat¬ 
terns, convey the idea of the Norman style which one 
sees exemplified on a larger scale in Durham Cathe¬ 
dral and other churches of that period in England. 
The vaulting over the Sanctuary is lined with gold 
mosaic, upon which appear black and white Celtic 
crosses. The lectern, communion rail, Glastonbury 
chairs, and other wood work of the Sanctuary were 
designed by Mr. Charles R. Lamb and made by J. & R. 
Lamb of New York. They are carved in low relief 
with ornafnent expressive of English Gothic feeling. 
The lectern shows a composition of three figures: 

87 


Christ in the center, between John the Baptist, his 
Forerunner, and St. John the Divine, namesake of the 
Cathedral, who closes the biblical record with the 
Book of Revelation. The Altar, of cream colored 
Italian marble, is in the form of a table supported 
by marble pillars. It has no Reredos. The Sanctuary 
Windows, three in number, were made by Messrs. 
Clayton & Bell of London. In the central light of 
the window above the Altar is represented the bap' 
tism of Christ by John the Baptist, and in the side 
lights are St. John with cup (left), and St. Paul with 
sword, (right.) In the bottom of the three lights are 
the four symbols previously explained (p. 74), namely, 
the IHC, the Alpha, the Omega, and the Chi Rho. 
The windows on either side of the middle window are 
in grisaille, copied from the famous lancet windows 
called the Five Sisters in the North Transept of York 
Cathedral, although these windows have only two 
lights each instead of five. The six wonderfully grace¬ 
ful seven-branched Candelabra, after Donatello, were 
brought from Italy by Mr. George Gordon King. 
Turning toward the entrance, in which is a wrought 
iron Screen in the Spanish style, designed by Mr. 
Samuel Yellen and made by the Industrial Ornamental 
Iron Works of Philadelphia, Penn., one sees an ex¬ 
tremely interesting feature in the Statues by Mr. Gut- 
zon Borglum of representatives of the successive stages 
of the development of Christianity in England, which 
stand in the niches between the clustered columns at 
the sides of the great entrance archway.* 

The figures, five on each side, one above the other, 
and corresponding to as many on the Ambulatory 
side,—twenty in all,—are in the following relative 
positions, it being understood that the left side as seen 

* In the following table ac. indicates date of accession to title. 
Some of the dates here and on page 86 are only approximate. 


88 



from the chapel is the same as the right side as seen 
from the Ambulatory. 

Seen from Chapel. 

Left. Right. 


St. Aidan 

Bishop of Northumbrians 
ac. 635 d. 651 
St. Anselm 

Archbishop of Canterbury 
ac. 1093 d. 1109 
Thomas Cranmer 

Archbishop of Canterbury 
b. 1489 d. 1556 
Joseph Butler 
Bishop of Durham 
b. 1692 d. 1752 
John Keble 

leader in Oxford movement 
b. 1792 d. 1866 


St. Augustine 
Archbishop of Canterbury 
ac. 597 d. 604 
King Alfred 
King of Wessex 
b. 849 d. 901 
William of Wykeham 
Bishop of Winchester 
ac. 1367 d. 1405 
Jeremy Taylor 
Bishop of 3 Irish sees 
b. 1613 d. 1667 
Reginald Heber 
Bishop of Calcutta 
b. 1783 d. 1826 


Seen from Ambulatory. 


Left. 

St. Alban 

promartyr of Britain 
d. circ. 304 
The Venerable Bede 
chronicler and priest 
b. 673 d. 735 
John Wyckliffe 
morning-star of Reformation 
b. 1325 d. 1384 
Richard Hooker 
Anglican theologian 
b. 1554 d. 1600 
John Wesley 
evangelical revivalist 
b. 1703 d. 1791 

The Cathedral has in its 


Right. 

Theodore of Tarsus 
Archbishop of Canterbury 
ac. 668 d. 690 
Stephen Langton 
Archbishop of Canterbury 
b. 1150 d. 1228 
Matthew Parker 
Archbishop of Canterbury 
b. 1504 d. 1575 
George Berkeley 
Bishop of Cloyne, etc. 
b. 1684 d. 1753 
Frederic Denison Maurice 
preacher and leader 
b. 1805 d. 1872 

possession a Stone from 


89 


the Cathedral, or Church of St. Mary (dating from 
the 13th-16th centuries) on the Island of Iona, which 
may fittingly be placed in this chapel at some future 
time. 

Upon the wall of the chapel is inscribed: 

“Chapel || of || Saint Columba||To the Glory of God || 
and || in Loving Memory of || Mary Leroy King || The Gift 
of Her Mother || Mary Augusta King || Consecrated || April 
27th, 1911.” 

®Ije Cfjapel of £s>t. JJonifare 

St. Boniface, whose original name was Winifred, was 
born in Devonshire, England, about the year 680. He en¬ 
tered a Benedictine monastery at the age of 13, learned 
rhetoric, history and theology, and became a priest at the 
age of 30. At a time when England and Ireland were send¬ 
ing missionaries to the heathen parts of Europe, Winifred 
was authorized by Pope Gregory II. to preach the Gospel to 
the tribes of Germany, and he is called the Apostle of Ger¬ 
many. While engaged in this work, Gregory made him a 
Bishop and gave him the name of Bonifacius, or Boniface, 
which means Doer of Good. The Bishoprics of Ratisbon, 
Erfurt, Paderborn, Wurzburg, Eichstadt, Salzburg, and sev¬ 
eral others, owe their establishment to his efforts. In 746 
he was made Archbishop of Mainz. In 755, while carrying 
on his work in Dokkum, in West Friesland, he and his con¬ 
gregation of converts there were slain by a mob of armed 
heathen. His remains are buried in the famous abbey of 
Fulda, which he founded. In art, he is depicted holding a 
book pierced by a sword, referring to the manner of his 
death. The Memorial Day for St. Boniface is kept on June 5. 

The Chapel of St. Boniface, (18 on plan), designed 
by Mr. Henry Vaughan, is a very pure specimen of 
English Gothic Architecture of the 14th century. It 
is about 48J/2 feet long and 28 wide, seats about 100 
persons, and cost about $175,000. The interior walls 
are of Indiana limestone; the pavement of pink marble 
from Knoxville, Tenn., with heavy black border of 
Belgian marble; and the steps to the Sanctuary also 
of pink Knoxville marble. The Altar is of gray 
marble from the same source. In the three ornate 


90 


panels on its face are the monogram IHS (see p. 74), 
the floriated Greek cross (see note below), and the 
Greek cross form of the Chi Rho (p. 74). The richly 
carved Reredos has three canopied niches, in the cen¬ 
tral one of which is represented the Adoration of the 
Magi. In each of the side niches is an angel with 
scroll. In the recesses of the windows on either side 
of the Altar are carved clergy stalls of dark oak, 
with wainscoting of the same wood as high as the 
window sills. There are six stained glass Windows, 
three in the Sanctuary and three smaller ones in the 
clerestory. Each has three lights. In the middle light 
of the central window above the Altar Christ is repre¬ 
sented as the Great Teacher. His robe is sprinkled 
with the I'fjc monogram (p. 74) and in His nimbus 
appear the ends of a floriated cross.* Above His head 
are two angels, and above them the dove, symbolizing 
the Holy Spirit. Below the figure of Christ is a scene 
representing Him teaching the multitude. In the left 
side light is St. Boniface with mitre, archiepiscopal 
staff,f and Bible pierced with sword; and below him 
a scene representing him hewing down an oak in 
Geismar accounted sacred by the idolators. In the 
right side light is St. Paul with sword; and below him 
a scene representing him preaching to the men of 
Athens. In the left window of the Sanctuary are 
three figures with scenes below as follows (left to 
right) : St. Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester, holding a 

* Only the nimbus of the Deity is ornamented with the cross. 
Tn a front view, but three arms of the cross appear; and sometimes 
these are represented as rays of light. A few writers, including G. J. 
French and W. & G. Audsley, contend that the three rays on the 
nimbus, of the Deity have no connection with the cross, but symbolize 
the Trinity. The similarity of the floriated terminals to the French 
fleur de lis has no special meaning, the real significance being, as 
stated on page 74 the flowering or productiveness "of the Christian 
religion. 

fA Bishop’s crozier is usually in the form of a pastoral staff, 
or ornate shepherd’s crook; an Archbishop’s staff has a cross instead 
of a crook at the upper end; and a papal staff has a double cross at 
the upper end. 


91 



monstrance, and (below) St. Birinus baptizing King 
Cynegils of the West Saxons; St. Augustine of Can¬ 
terbury with archiepiscopal staff, holding a tablet rep¬ 
resenting the crucifixion, and (below) St. Augustine 
announcing the Word of Life to King Ethelbert; and 
St. Felix, Bishop of Dunwich, with crozier and torch, 
and (below) St. Felix receiving the blessing of the 
Archbishop of Canterbury. In the right Sanctuary 
window, similarly, are: St. Chad, Bishop of Lich¬ 
field, holding crozier and model of Lichfield Cathe¬ 
dral;);, and (below) St. Chad listening to the songs 
of angels; St. Columba in monastic garb with crozier 
and with monastery (Iona) at his feet, and (below) 
St. Columba converting the Piets; and St. Aidan with 
crozier, and (below) St. Aidan instructing the youth¬ 
ful St. Chad and others. In the west clerestory win¬ 
dow are: St. Patrick with crozier ornamented with 
shamrocks; St. Gregory of Rome with papal staff, hold¬ 
ing an open music book displaying the Sursum Corda 
(referring to him as founder of the Gregorian music), 
with Pere Marquette below; and St. Martin of Tours 
with crozier and Bible. In the east wall are two 
clerestory windows. In the left hand window of 
the two are: St. Cyprian, Archbishop of Carthage, 
holding his staff and his best known book concerning 
Church Unity, or the universal church; St. Ambrose, 
Bishop of Milan, with crozier and open book display¬ 
ing the words “Te Deum Laudamus” (we praise Thee, 
O God,) and pen in hand, with the missionary Robert 
Hunt below; and St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo 
Mundia, with crozier. In the right hand clerestory 
window in the east wall are: St. Cyril, Patriarch of 
Alexandria, with book and staff; St. John Chrysostom, 
Bishop of Constantinople, with staff, chalice and Book 
of Homilies, with the missionary John Robinson 

t The founder of a see is usually represented holding the model 
of a cathedral. 


92 



below; and St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, holding 
a palm. The windows were made by Messrs. C. E. 
Kempe & Co. of London. In two canopied niches in 
the west wall are Statues of Thomas a Becket (left) 
and St. Boniface (right) ; and in a niche in the east 
wall is one of Erasmus. Three wrought iron Lamps 
are suspended by iron chains from the ceiling; and at 
the entrance is a handsome wrought iron Screen 
adorned with escutcheons bearing the tfjc monogram 
and surmounted by a floriated cross before explained. 
On one of the walls is inscribed: 

“The Chapel of St. Boniface || Consecrated || February 
29, 1916 || Erected to || the Glory of God || by || George Sulli¬ 
van .Bowdoin || and ,His Wife || Julia Grinnell Bowdoin || and 
Their Children 11 Temple Bowdoin 11 Fanny Hamilton Kings- 
ford || Edith Grinnell Bowdoin.” 

£&tOXp Of the l^obe Of iPeace. During the last year 
of the World War, an incident interesting in itself 
and illustrative of the origin of the legends and tra¬ 
ditions which often grow up around cathedrals, oc¬ 
curred in connection with the chapel bearing the name 
of the Apostle of Germany. In the spring of 1918, 
some weeks after the great German drive of March 
21 had begun and before the beginning of the counter¬ 
offensive of the second battle of the Marne in July, 
the large stained glass window in the clerestory of 
the Choir above the entrance to the Chapel of St. 
Boniface arrived from England. All the ventilation 
openings in the Cathedral windows are screened to 
exclude birds, which, however interesting in their 
natural habitats, are a practical nuisance in the Cathe¬ 
dral. When the stained glass window above men¬ 
tioned arrived, the temporary window filling the space 
above the entrance to the chapel was removed for its 
installation. While the window was thus open, and 
at a period in the war when the issue trembled in 
the balance and the world fairly held its breath in 


93 


fearful expectation of the event, a white dove,—very 
generally recognized as a symbol or harbinger of 
Peace—flew into the Cathedral over this chapel. On 
the following Sunday it soared around in the great 
dome of the Crossing and in the Choir, alighting in 
the most interesting places. When Dean Robbins 
ascended the stairs of the great marble pulpit, he found 
the dove perched on the edge of the pulpit directly 
before him. The dove then flew down and alighted 
on the back of a vacant chair between two occupied 
chairs in the midst of the congregation on the south 
side of the Crossing, and there remained quietly dur¬ 
ing the sermon. When the ushers started toward 
the Altar with the offertory, the bird soared across the 
congregation and alighted on the hat of a woman 
dressed in mourning who was sitting near the middle 
aisle, its snow white plumage contrasting strikingly 
with the sombre attire of the bereaved woman who 
seemed not to be disturbed by what perhaps she re¬ 
garded as a happy omen. In a moment the dove flew 
to another part of the Crossing. It remained in the 
Cathedral a few days longer; and then one day, went 
out through an open door. Soon after this occurrence, 
the Allies facing the Marne salient, including the 
Americans at Chateau Thierry, began the great 
counter-movement which finally brought peace.* It 
was at least an interesting coincidence that this white 
dove came into the Cathedral over this chapel, at the 
very crisis of the war, and that almost immediately 
thereafter began that series of determining events 
which led the Germans to make overtures for Peace. 

* As an illustration of a peace legend connected with a European 
church may be mentioned that of the Golden Virgin of the basilica of 
Notre Dame de Brebieres, in Albert, France. In the bombardment of 
1914, the figure of the Virgin and Child which surmounted' the spire 
was thrown over and remained suspended at right angles for over three 
years; during which time the belief sprang up locally that when the 
Golden Virgin fell, peace would come. The Virgin fell during the 
bombardment of 1918, and peace ensued a few months later. 


94 




®f)e Cfjapel of §>t. gfiisgartus 

St. Ansgarius, or St. Ansgar, was born in Picardy in 
801. With his co-laborer Autbert he went to preach Chris¬ 
tianity to the northmen of Sleswick. In spite of much perse¬ 
cution, he was so successful that in 831 the Pope established 
an archbishopric in Hamburg, (afterwards transferred to 
Bremen,) and Ansgarius was appointed first Archbishop. He 
made several missionary tours in Denmark, Sweden and 
other parts of the north, and died at Bremen in 865. He is 
called the Apostle of the North. The Memorial Day for 
St. Ansgarius is kept on February 3. 

The Chapel of St. Ansgarius (19 on plan), de¬ 
signed by Mr. Henry Vaughan, architect of the Chapel 
of St. James, is in the same style of Architecture, 14th 
century Gothic, and about the same size, being 66 
feet long and 41 wide, with a seating capacity of 250. 
It differs, however, from the Chapel of St. James in 

plan, the bay east of the 
turret stairs being here 
thrown into the Ambu¬ 
latory, while in the 
Chapel of St. James it 
is included as a sort of 
transept; and the north 
side of the Chapel of St. 
Ansgarius being divided 
into only two bays, 
while the south side of 
the Chapel of St. James 
is divided into three. On 
account of the amount 
of work required to se¬ 
cure a firm foundation, 
the Chapel of St. Ans¬ 
garius cost about $225,- 
000, making it the most 

Niche in St. Ansgarius chapel expensive of the seven 

made of old Cathedral Stones Chapels of TongU^S. 








The interior walls are of Indiana limestone; and 
the pavement of pink Knoxville, Tenn., marble and 
mottled Vermont marble. The Altar is of gray Knox¬ 
ville marble. On its front is carved the Madonna of 
the Chair on the left of which, from the spectator’s 
standpoint, is St. Michael with sword and on the right 
St. Gabriel with lilies. In the middle of the sculptured 
Reredos, (above) is represented Christ holding the 
globe (symbol of sovereignty), and (below) the bap¬ 
tism of Christ by John the Baptist. 

On the left of the figures are St. Ansgarius with 
crozier (above) and Gustavus Adolphus with sword 
(below), while on the right are St. Olaf with 
crown and scepter (above) and Luther in gown with 
hook (below). The Altar and Reredos were given by 
Mrs. Julia Grinnell Bowdoin. In the left (northern) 
wall of the Sanctuary is a niche made of stones from 
Worcester and Ely Cathedrals, England. On the 
upper surface of the stone bracket forming the shelf 
of the niche is carved “Ely 1320.” The stones from 
the Lady Chapel of Worcester Cathedral were given 
to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine by Canon 
George William Douglas of New York who procured 
them from Canon J. M. Wilson, Archdeacon of Wor¬ 
cester.* On the stones on either side of the recess 
is carved: 

“These Stones from || the Cathedral || of Christ and || 
St. Mary the Virgin j| Worcester, England, || are Memo¬ 
rials to || William Reed || Huntington jj Sometime Rector 
|| of All Saints || in Worcester j| Massachusetts.” 

* Some years ago, when Canon Douglas was visiting Worcester 
Cathedral, England, Canon Wilson pointed to a spot in the wall 
where an ancient carved stone had been replaced by a modern stone, 
and said: “A good while ago a man of the name of Huntington, who 
introduced himself as Rector of a church in Worcester, Mass., begged 
me to give him a bit of carved stone as a symbol of the ties between 
England and America.” This led Canon Douglas to ask for a similar 
gift to be placed in St. Ansgarius' Chapel, which is a memorial of 
Dr. Huntington, in a House of God where Englishmen and Americans 
often meet and where members of the Daughter Church have constant 
occasion to recall their indebtedness to the Mother Church of England. 


Three small Windows of two lights each in the Sanc¬ 
tuary contain (from left to right) representations of: 
(1) St. Willibrod with mitre, archiepiscopal staff, and 
model of cathedral; and St. Lucian with crown, scep¬ 
ter and sword; (2) St. Ansgarius with mitre and cro- 
zier; and King Olaf with crown and scepter; and (3) 
above the Reredos, St. Eric with crown and scepter; 
and St. Wilifred with mitre and archiepiscopal staff. 
The window spaces at the right of the latter are walled 
up because they are blanketed by the adjacent chapel. 
In the two bays of the north aisle are two noble stained 
glass windows, each having five lights and each light 
depicting two scenes. In the left hand or western 
window, the upper tier of scenes is chiefly devoted to 
Old Testament subjects as follows (left to right) : 
Adam and Eve (Gen. ii. 7-25) ; the visit of the three 
angels to Abraham bearing the promise of the birth 
of Isaac (Gen. xviii. 2-22) ; St. Michael fighting the 
dragon with a cross-shaped spear (Rev. xii. 7) ; Abra¬ 
ham offering to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. xxii. 9-13) ; and 
Jacob’s dream of the ladder (Gen. xxviii. 12). In 
the lower tier are five scenes prophetic of the birth 
of the Forerunner of Christ and of Christ himself: 
The angel’s visit to Zacharias to foretell the birth of 
John the Baptist (Luke i. 13) ; the annunciation to the 
Virgin Mary of the coming birth of Christ (Luke i. 
28) ; St. Gabriel with lilies as Angel of the Annuncia¬ 
tion (Luke i. 28) ; the angels’ visit to the shepherds 
(Luke ii. 8-12) ; and the angel’s visit to Joseph, hus¬ 
band of Mary, to foretell the birth of Christ (Mat. 
i. 20). The right hand or eastern window depicts 
Acts of the Apostles. In its upper tier are: St. Peter 
preaching to the Disciples (Acts i. 15); St. Peter 
healing the lame man (Acts iii. 2-8) ; St. Peter with 
key; the stoning of St. Stephen (Acts vii. 59); and 
St. Philip baptizing the eunuch (Acts viii. 26-38) ; 
and in the lower tier: St. Peter raising Tabitha. 

97 


(Acts ix. 40) ; the conversion of St. Paul’s jailer at 
Philippi (Acts xvi. 23-31); St. Paul with sword; St. 
Paul laying hands on the Disciples (Acts xix. 6) ; and 
St. Paul before Felix (Acts xxiv. 24-25). All the 
windows are by Messrs. C. E. Kempe & Co. of Lon¬ 
don. In two high niches in the south wall are Statues 
of Eric, King of Sweden (left) and Canute, King of 
the English, Danes and Norwegians (right;) and in a 
niche at the west end of the north aisle is a statue of 
King Eskiel, all crowned. On the Ambulatory side 
of the entrance bay are two statues: John the Baptist 
(above) and St. Ansgarius with crozier and mitre, 
holding a small cathedral (below). The sculptures 
are by Mr. John Evans of Boston. In a bay of the 
chapel temporarily rests a symbolic group executed in 
Caen stone by Miss Malvina Hoffman of New York, 
entitled The Sacrifice. It is intended for Harvard 
University at Cambridge, Mass., as a memorial of 
Robert Bacon, sometime U. S. Ambassador to France 
arid a Trustee of the University, and of the Harvard 
men who lost their lives in the World War. It repre¬ 
sents a dead Crusader, such as those who went from 
Cambridge, Eng., in the 12th century, and gave their 
lives for an ideal, lying upon a cross with his head 
pillowed in a woman’s lap. According to the tradi¬ 
tional position of the feet of the Crusader, he was one 
of those who never reached Jerusalem, those who did 
so being traditionally represented with their feet 
crossed. The woman may typify Alma Mater as well 
as those women who gave their best to a great cause 
and made their lonely grief their glory. The two fig¬ 
ures symbolize mutual sacrifice. This chapel has an 
independent Organ played from a movable console on 
the floor. The chapel, which is the gift of many per¬ 
sons, was dedicated on April 3, 1918. On one of the 
walls is inscribed: 


98 







> 

) 


> 


•> 


> 


) 


) 


y 


THE SACRIFICE 












“The Chapel of Saint Ansgarius || Consecrated April 3, 
1918 || to the Worship of || Almighty God || and in Loving 
Memory of || William Reed Huntington || for 25 Years Rector 
of Grace Church || and for 22 Years Trustee of this Cathe¬ 
dral." 

Qlht Corner ^>tone of the Cathedral, which was 
laid by Bishop Henry C. Potter on St. John’s Day, 
December 27, 1892, is imbedded in the northwestern 
pier of the Chapel of St. Ansgarius and is only partly 
visible in the chamber under the chapel. It is a block 
of gray Quincy granite, 4 feet 4 inches square and 2 
feet 4^2 inches thick. Upon the angle of the visible 
corner are inscribed a Greek cross and “I. H. S. St. 
John’s Day, Decern. XXVII, A. D. 1892.” It con¬ 
tains, among other things, a fragment of a Spanish 
Brick from Hispaniola (Hayti) which was given to 
the Cathedral by Mr. Malcolm McLean, Senior War¬ 
den of St. Andrew’s Church, New York City, and 
upon which is a silver plate inscribed: 

“From the Ruin of the First Christian Church in the 
New World where the First Church was Erected by Chris¬ 
topher Columbus, 1493. Isabella, Hispaniola.”* 

®be Crppt 

The Crypt, located beneath the Choir, is closed, 
pending work on other parts of the Cathedral. And 
on account of the consequent dampness, the delicate 
furnishings were removed in September, 1916, and 

* The Corner Stone also contains a Bible, a Prayer Book, a 
Hymnal, Journals of the Diocesan Conventions 1882-1892. Journals of 
the General Conventions 1889-1892, Centennial History of the Diocese 
of New York, several church periodicals, three different almanacs for 
1893, Catalogue of the General Theological Seminary and St. Stephen’s 
College 1892-1893, New York daily papers of December 27, 1892, the 
form of service for laying the Corner Stone, names of the Cathedral 
Trustees, several charges and addresses delivered by Bishop Potter 
on various occasions, letters from the Bishop to the clergy and others 
concerning the Cathedral, the badge and rules of prayer of the 
Brotherhood of St. Andrew, medal of the Missionary Society, lists of 
principal officers of the United States, N. Y. State and N. Y. City 
governments, and a list of the objects placed in the stone. 


100 . 


entrusted to the care of Mr. Louis C. Tiffany, who 
designed them, and who has placed them temporarily 
in the private chapel on his large country estate at 
Laurelton, L. I. The Crypt has a seating capacity of 
500, and the first services in the Cathedral were held 
in it from January 8, 1899, until the Choir and Cross¬ 
ing were opened on April 19, 1911. In its furnished 
state, it contains an Altar, Reredos, font, lectern, and 
five stained glass windows which were exhibited by 
Mr. Tiffany at the World’s Fair at Chicago in 1893 
and which were called collectively the Tiffany Chapel. 
The top and retable of the Altar are of Carrara mar¬ 
ble, while the front and sides are adorned with medal¬ 
lions of mother of pearl, four smaller discs contain¬ 
ing emblems of the four Evangelists, a central shield 
set with sapphires, topazes and mother of pearl, and 
150,000 pieces of glass mosaic. The Reredos is of 
iridescent glass mosaic, as are the twelve Pillars back 
of the Altar symbolizing the twelve Apostles. The 
general effect is Byzantine. The Altar, Reredos, font, 
lectern and windows were given by Mrs. Celia Her- 
mione Wallace in memory of her son. The following 
interments have been made in the Crypt: The Very 
Rev. William M. Grosvenor, D.D., Dean of the 
Cathedral, December 13, 1916; the Right Rev. David 
H. Greer, D.D., eighth Bishop of New York, May 23, 
1919; and the Right Rev. Charles S. Burch, D.D., 
ninth Bishop of New York, December 23, 1920. 

;§>ummarp ©intensions 

Following are the principal dimensions of the Cathe¬ 
dral. As cathedrals are compared in size by their 
areas, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will rank, 
after St. Peter’s at Rome and Seville Cathedral, the 
third largest in the world. 


101 


Length 


Western Towers . 50 feet 

Nave . 225 “ 

Crossing . 100 “ 

Choir . 170 “ 

St. Saviour’s Chapel. 56 “ 

Total length . 601 “ 

Width 

West Front (including buttresses).... 220 feet 

Nave and Aisles (exterior). 132 “ 

Transepts . 315 “ 

Crossing . 100 “ 

Choir . 56 “ 

Ambulatory . 20 “ 

Height 

Western Towers . 265 feet 

Ridge of Nave Roof. 175 “ 

Nave Vaults (above floor). 130 “ 

Choir Vaults (above floor). 127 “ 

Crossing Vault (above floor). 200 “ 

Central Fleche . 470 “ 

Final Cross (30 feet). 500 “ 

Final Cross above tide-water. 631 “ 

Area 

Area of Cathedral.109,082 square feet 


JBtstfjopS of jSeto gork 

Following is a list of the Bishops of New York 
since the erection of the Diocese: 

First: The Right Rev. Samuel Provoost, D.D.; 
born February 24, 1742; Bishop of New York 1787- 
1815; died September 6, 1815. 

Second: The Right Rev. Benjamin Moore; born 
November 5, 1748; Assistant Bishop 1801-1815; 
Bishop of New York 1815-1816; died February 29, 
1816. 

Third: The Right Rev. John Flenry Hobart, D.D.; 
born September 14, 1775; Assistant Bishop 1811-1816; 

102 

























Bishop of New York 1816-1830; died September 12, 
1830. 

Fourth: The Right Rev. Benjamin Tredwell On- 
derdonk; born July 15, 1791; Bishop of New York, 
active 1830-1845, inactive 1845-1861; died April 30, 
1861. 

Fifth: The Right Rev. Jonathan Mayhew Wain- 
wright, D.D., D.C.L.; born February 24, 1792; Pro¬ 
visional Bishop 1852-1854; died September 21, 1854. 

Sixth: The Right Rev. Horatio Potter, D.D., 
D.C.L., Oxon.; born February 9, 1802; Provisional 
Bishop 1854-1861; Bishop of New York 1861-1887; 
died January 2, 1887. 

Seventh: The Right Rev. Henry Codman Potter, 
D.D., LL.D.; born May 25, 1834; Assistant Bishop 
1883-1887; Bishop of New York 1887-1908; died July 
21, 1908. 

Eighth: The Right Rev. David Hummed Greer, 
D.D., S.T.D., LL.D.; born March 20, 1844; Bishop 
Coadjutor 1904-1908; Bishop of New York 1908- 
1919; died May 19, 1919. 

Ninth: The Right Rev. Charles Sumner Burch, 
D.D., L.H.D., LL.D.; born June 30, 1855; Bishop 
Suffragan 1911-1919; Bishop of New York 1919-1920; 
died December 20, 1920. 

Tenth: The Right Rev. William Thomas Man¬ 
ning, D.D., LL.D., D.C.L.; born May 12, 1866, 
Bishop of New York 1921. 


103 


$art ®fjree 

0t\)tv puiltungs, (Etc. 


QTfje JBistfjop’S J>ou£e 

The Bishop’s House (A. on plan,) is in French 
Gothic architecture of the chateau type, with lofty 
roof and high dormer windows, and is built of Ger¬ 
mantown micaceous schist. It is designed to be con¬ 
nected with the Cathedral by cloisters, and is con¬ 
nected with the Deanery by a vaulted porch above 
which is to be built the Bishop’s private chapel. The 
extreme outside dimensions of the Bishop’s House 
are 77 by 126 feet, including the porch. The architects 
were Messrs. Cram & Ferguson.* The occupants of 
the house have been Bishop Greer from the time of 
its opening in 1914 until his death May 19, 1919; 
Bishop Burch from his installation October 28, 1919, 
until his death December 20, 1920; and Bishop Man¬ 
ning since his consecration on May 11, 1921. 

Cf )t Beanerp 

The Deanery (B. on plan) adjoins the Bishop’s 
House as above mentioned. It is by the same archi¬ 
tect, is in the same style but of a more domestic type, 
forms a part of the same architectural composition, 
and is built of the same kind of stone. It is not so 
lofty a structure as the Bishop’s House, but has many 
interesting details, particularly on the southern facade. 
Its extreme outside measurements are about 79 by 93 
feet. The late Dean Grosvenor occupied the Deanery 
from the time of its erection until his death December 


* For details, see description in the Architectural Record for 
August, 1914. 


104 





THE BISHOP'S HOUSE 














9, 1916, and was succeeded by Dean Robbins in June, 
1917. A tablet in the porch is inscribed: 

“The Deanery 11 erected in || Faithful Remembrance || 
of || Clinton Ogilvie || 1838-1900 || by his wife || Helen Slade 
Ogilvie I 1 , A. D. 1913." 

Wi)t Cfjotr is>djool 

The Choir School (C. on Plan) has a special inter¬ 
est for everyone who goes to the Cathedral, for here 
are educated and trained the boys who sing in the 
Cathedral services. The school was founded by 
Bishop H. C. Potter in 1901 and was formerly located 
in the Old Synod House. The present building, erected 
in 1912 and built of the same kind of stone as the 
Bishop’s House and Deanery, is in the English Col¬ 
legiate Gothic style of architecture; is three stories 
high, and has extreme outside dimensions of 83 by 
150 feet. Messrs. Walter Cook and Winthrop A. 
Welch were the architects. The building contains 
offices, a general school room which is equipped with 
apparatus for both stereopticon and moving pictures, 
a choir rehearsal room with stalls, individual rooms 
for vocal and instrumental practice, a fine large com¬ 
mon room with open fire-place for reading and social 
intercourse, dining room, kitchen, dormitories, a big 
gymnasium, a sick room to which a boy is transferred 
upon the first sign of any illness, etc. Accommoda¬ 
tions are provided for 40 resident scholars and 20 
day scholars. Their musical training is under the 
personal direction of the organist and Master of the 
Choristers, and their general education under the 
direction of the Head Master and staflf of under-mas¬ 
ters. A sympathetic House Mother looks out for the 
personal wants of the boys and directs the domestic 
service; and competent physicians and trained nurses 
are in attendance when necessary. Boys are admitted 
to the school at the age of 9 and remain until their 


10G 



THE DEANERY 



















voices change, which is usually between the ages of 
13 and 14. They come from all parts of the United 
States and possessions, two boys recently having come 
from Alaska. An applicant is first received on pro¬ 
bation, and if he manifests a good character and dis¬ 
position, and gives promise of a good voice, he is 
accepted as a chorister. Until they become full chor¬ 
isters, vested with cassock and cotta, probationers sit 
in separate choir stalls in the Cathedral services and 
wear only their black student gowns. During their 
residence at the school, the boys are under strict but 
gentle discipline and have the finest education and 
musical training that can be given them. Their board, 
education and musical training are free, in return for 
which they give their services as choristers. When 
they leave the school, they are followed by the interest 
of the Cathedral organizations which endeavor to 
secure scholarships for their higher education. The 
men of the choir, of whom there are about 20, do not 
reside at the Choir School. The usual number of 
choristers, men and boys, in the Cathedral services is 
about 60, except during the summer vacation when the 
number is somewhat reduced. There is probably no 
finer choir school in the world, and the Cathedral 
music is the highest expression of this form of musical 
art in this country. 

The Choir School building, which cost nearly 
$180,000, is the gift of Mrs. J. Jarrett Blodgett in 
memory of her father Mr. John Hinman Sherwood. 
At Eastertide, 1914, the late Commodore Frederick 
G. Bourne, who had sung as a boy in Trinity Church 
and in later years in the Church of the Incarnation, 
endowed the school with $500,000; and by his will, 
probated March 15, 1919, gave $100,000 to the 
Cathedral toward the building of the Nave and 
about the same amount to the Choir School endow¬ 
ment. Members of the Diocesan Auxiliary to the 
108 



THE CHOIR SCHOOL 















Cathedral contributed generously toward the furnish¬ 
ing of the school. A tablet in the porch reads: 

“In Faithful Memory of || John Hinman Sherwood || 
Just Upright True || Erected by his daughter || 1912.” 

^>t. Jfaitf)’£ ffiou&t 

St. Faith’s House (D. on plan) is the home of the 
New York Training School for Deaconesses, an inde¬ 
pendent corporation which was founded in 1890 by 
the late Rev. William Reed Huntington, D.D., 
and which occupies a site in the Cathedral Close by 
permission of the Trustees of the Cathedral. The 
building of Indiana limestone and brick is in Tudor 
Gothic architecture, and measures 68 by 137 feet on 
the outside. It is the gift of Archdeacon Charles C. 
Tiffany in memory of his wife. The architects were 
Messrs. Heins & LaFarge. 

is>pnob ^ouse 

The Synod House, (E. on plan,) standing in the 
southwestern angle of the Close on the corner of Cathe¬ 
dral parkway and Amsterdam avenue, is the meeting 
place of the Diocesan Convention and other secular 
gatherings of the Diocese. It also contains the 
Bishop’s office and the offices of the Suffragan Bishops, 
the Rt. Rev. Arthur Selden Lloyd, D.D., and the Rt. 
Rev. Herbert Shipman, D.D. It is of Kingwood, W. Va., 
sandstone with pink tinges, quite unlike any other 
stone in the Cathedral group. The Architecture is 
pure French Gothic of the 13th century, Messrs. Cram 
& Ferguson being the architects. Its outside dimen¬ 
sions are 73 by 171 feet. The Western Entrance is a 
fine example of a mediaeval recessed porch in its 
architecture and an interesting illustration of the 
progress of Civilization and Christianity in its sculp¬ 
tures. It contains 43 figures in the round and a relief 
of 12 figures in the tympanum. The key-note to the 


110 



THE SYNOD HOUSE 












composition is the relief in the Tympanum represent¬ 
ing Christ sending out his Disciples to baptize and 
teach all the nations of the world. Beneath this is 
the inscription: 

“All power is given unto me in heaven and earth || Go 
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 11 them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and||of the Holy 
Ghost; teaching them to observe all || things whatsoever I 
have commanded you; and lo 11 I am with you always even 
unto the end of the world” (Mat. xxviii. 18-20). 

The archivolt outside of the tympanum is composed 
of three ranges of Gothic niches in the voussoirs, con¬ 
taining 36 little figures in the round. The outer range 
represents 14 ancient and modern Apostles of Chris¬ 
tianity as follows, beginning at the lowest figure on 
the left-hand side and reading upward to the center, 
and thence downward to the lowest right-hand figure: 
(1) Count Zinzendorf, 1700-1760, German reformer, 
founder of Moravian Brethren, missionary to Ameri¬ 
can Indians; (2) St. Boniface, 680-755, Apostle of 
Germany; (3) St. Francis Xavier, 1506-1552, Apostle 
of the Indies, one of the founders of the Society of 
Jesus; (4) St. Denis, 3d century, Apostle of the Gauls, 
Patron Saint of France; (5) St. Olaf, 995-1030, 
Patron Saint and King of Norway; (6) St. Augustine, 
died 604, missionary to Britain, first Archbishop of 
Canterbury; (7) Innocent of Moscow, 1797-1879, 
Apostle of Alaska and Kamchatka, Archbishop of 
Moscow; (8) St. Patrick, circ. 372-460, Apostle and 
Patron Saint of Ireland; (9) John Eliot, 1604-1690, 
Apostle of American Indians, translator of Bible into 
Indian language; (10) St. Willibrod, 658-739, Apostle 
of the Frisians, Archbishop of Utrecht; (11) St. Cyril, 
827-869, Apostle of the Slavs, inventor of the Cyrillic 
alphabet; (12) David Livingstone, 1813-1873, British 
explorer and missionary in Africa; (13) St. Columba, 
521-597, Apostle of Caledonia; (14) Charles George 


112 


Gordon, “Gordon Pasha/’ 1833-1885, British General, 
promoter of Christianity in China and Egypt. The 12 
figures in the middle range represent the Arts and 
Sciences. In the same order they are: (1) Natural 
Science, man with microscope; (2) Sculpture, man 
with mallet and chisel; (3) Medicine, man with book 
and skull; (4) Literature, woman reading a book; 
(5) Chemistry, woman holding aloft a retort; (6) 
Industrial Art, man with vase; (7) Painting, man with 
palette; (8) Astronomy, man with globe; (9) Mathe¬ 
matics, man wearing spectacles and gown, holding 
cone and truncated pyramid; (10) Physics, woman 
with telephone; (11) Music, man with violoncello; 
(12) Architecture, man* holding model of building. 
The 10 figures in the innermost range represent the 
Crafts and Industries, as follows: (1) Bookbinding, 
man making a book; (2) Agriculture, man sowing 
seed; (3) Metal Industry, man pouring molten metal 
from ladle; (4) Textile Industry, woman with distaff 
and shuttle; (5) Navigation, sailor holding telescope- 
with rope at feet; (6) Building, man laying brick; 
(7) Engineering, man holding tape measure; (8) 
Fishing, sailor with seine; (9) Mining, man with pick¬ 
axe and miner’s cap; (10) Shoemaking, cobbler at 
his last. Below these, in niches in the splays and 
central pilaster of the door-way, are 7 larger figures 
representing Seven Famous Christian Rulers who 
have carried out the injunction in the tympanum, as 
follows, (left to right) : (1) Emperor Constantine, 
once ruler of the Roman World and founder of Con¬ 
stantinople, who proclaimed religious toleration and 
presided over the council which adopted the Nicene 
Creed; (2) Charlemagne, King of the Franks, Em¬ 
peror of the revived western Roman empire, who intro¬ 
duced Christianity into conquered countries, main- 


# Ralph Adams Cram. 


113 



tained popular assemblies, and promoted science, art 
and letters; (3) Alexis, one of the ablest Emperors of 
Byzantium and friend of the Crusaders; (4, in center) 
George Washington, to whose character as Christian 
soldier, statesman and first President of the United 
States, attaches local interest from the fact that he 
commanded the American troops in the Battle of Har¬ 
lem Heights which was fought partly on the ground 
occupied by the Cathedral Close; (5) Gustavus Adol¬ 
phus, King of Sweden, one of the greatest generals, 
who, with his army in Germany, saved the cause of 
Protestantism in the Thirty Years War; (6) St. Louis, 
King of France, the most distinguished monarch of 
his age, who was noted for his piety, justice and 
mercy, and who died on a Crusade; and (7) Alfred the 
Great, King of Wessex, who bore the brunt of the 
Danish invasions and was a promoter of education and 
Christianity. The sculptures are by John Evans & 
Co. of Boston. The Interior decoration of the high 
roof and open timbers of the truss-work in polychrome 
is typical of the Middle Ages and the wood panelling 
is a reminder of 15th century work. The latter is by 
Messrs. Wm. F. Ross & Co., of Cambridge, Mass. 
The grisaille windows are by Mr. Charles J. Connick 
of Boston. The main hall, which seats 800 on the 
floor and 400 in the gallery, has a large pipe organ 
built by the Ernest M. Skinner Co. of Boston. The 
Undercroft (basement) is equipped for use as a refec¬ 
tory. The building cost about $350,000. In the main 
vestibule, over the outer doorway, is this inscription: 

“To the Glory of God and for the Service of His People |! 
This Synod House was Given in the year A. D. 1912 by | { 
John Pierpont Morgan and William Bayard Cutting.” 

©pen 9tr ^ulptt 

The Open Air Pulpit (F. on plan) standing in the 
midst of the Cathedral Close, is in the form of an 


114 


open-work Gothic spire 40 feet high, built of Daytona 
stone. On its four sides are the usual symbols of the 
four Evangelists. The pulpit was designed by Messrs. 
Howells and Stokes and was presented by Miss Olivia 
Phelps Stokes in memory of her sister Miss Caroline 
Phelps Stokes. It was suggested by the outdoor serv¬ 
ices held here before the Choir and Crossing were 
ready, and by the open air pulpit attached to the 
cathedral church at Perugia. 

©rgam^attons 

The following organizations of men and women 
aid in the Cathedral work: 

The Diocesan Auxiliary to the Cathedral : President, 
Mrs. Henry W. Munroe; Vice-Presidents, Mrs. John 
Greenough, Mrs. Haley Fiske, Mrs. W. M. V. Hoff¬ 
man; Secretary, Mrs. Louis Mansfield Ogden; Assist¬ 
ant Secretary, Mrs. Francis C. Huntington; Treasurer, 
Mrs. Harold F. Hadden. 

The Cathedral League: President, Mr. John S. 
Rogers; Vice-President, Hon. Thomas C. T. Crain; 
Treasurer, Mr. John A. Hance; Secretary, Dr. John 
B. Walker. 

The Laymen's Club: President, Mr. Theophilus Bar- 
ratt; Vice-Presidents, Messrs. William W. Borman, 
Henry M. Sperry, Robert Livingston Stedman; Treas¬ 
urer, Mr. Charles P. Dietz; Secretary, Mr. J. Hard¬ 
wick Stagg. Organized 1908, incorporated 1920, “to 
promote and stimulate interest in the influence, growth 
and completion of the Cathedral; to bring the Cathe¬ 
dral and its work more completely within the know¬ 
ledge of the community; and to promote the general 
welfare of the Cathedral;” Among its activities are 
the publication of this Guide Book and the Cathedral 
post-cards, the improvement of the Cathedral grounds, 


15 


the assisting of a choir boy to complete in some well- 
known preparatory school his preparation for college, 
the training of the Cathedral Troop of Boy Scouts, 
the giving of free lectures, the ushering in the Cathe¬ 
dral, etc. 

The Cathedral Ushers are members of the Lay¬ 
men’s Club as stipulated in a resolution of the Cathe¬ 
dral Trustees passed April 25, 1911, and are desig¬ 
nated from week to week by the Canon Sacrist. The 
badge of the Ushers is a vesica-shaped* gold medal¬ 
lion, having in the center an episcopal mitre, sur¬ 
rounded by the legend “Ecclesia Cathedralis S. Jo- 
hannis Theologisuspended by a purple ribbon from 
a gold bar bearing the word “Usher.” 

(gutbe JSoolt 

Copies of this Guide Book may be procured at the 
Cathedral from the Verger or the Ushers, or will be 
sent by mail upon request addressed to the Verger 
p. 23). In stiff paper covers 50 cents (by mail 
60 cents) ; in purple cloth, covers stamped with gold 
$1.00 (by mail $1.10). 


* Several ideas associated with the fish-shape of the 
vesica piscis have caused it to be recognized as a symbol of 
Christ. In an ingenious rebus of a very early date, the five 
letters of the Greek word for “fish” ixfrug, form the initials 
of the Greek words ’Iriciou; Xqioxoc, 0sou Ylog, XwxfiQ, 
which mean “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour.” 


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